Following the earlier flooding, we decided to try to build a small dam to try to block the water, rocks, leaves and other debris from flooding out into the pastures.

Here is a reminder of what it looked like during the flooding with water and debris flowing out from the woods.

The creek flooding out into the pastures.

We stacked up the logs again in the water channel where it floods out of the woods.  This time, instead of just stacks of logs, we put a metal post behind the logs and covered them with a couple feet of dirt and rocks.  Hopefully the post and earthen dam will help keep the logs in place and divert the water and debris.

Close-up of the “dam” with metal post holding the logs in place.

Click through for more pictures and details.

The dirt was leftover dirt and rocks from the installation of our geothermal heating system. I was able to use the loader on the tractor to move it all into place.

A picture of the completed earthen dam.

Full view of the dam.

As you can see in the last picture compared to the first picture in this post, the dam blocks the whole open channel where water previously flowed out of the woods. Now all we need to do is see how well it works during the next heavy rain.