Case Study – Clearing an Irrigation Pond

On arrival, immediately noticing the severely overgrown vegetation that carries all the way round the irrigation pond, containing large amounts of sticks and debris. In this situation it will make it extremely difficult to pump the silt/ slurry due to debris blocking of the pump and segregation needs potentially making the process time consuming and more difficult. This made conventional dredging and pontoon dredging the ideal choice for the project.

A Complicated Dredging Task Resolved

This method of dredging still had its complications such as dredging from the bank would only reach so far as opposed to on the pontoon allowed you to cover more area. It also allowed for a more comfortable area to cut down and reach overgrown trees that needed attention.

Pontoon Dredging providing Manoeuvrability

The pontoon allowed us to navigate through, around the pond centre where other diggers fail to reach and to get through the very overgrown areas of the pond that couldn’t be seen until the feller and and vegetation team had safely cleared all paths enabling the task to continue. This prevented cutting multiply apertures around the area, which would then diminish the more natural look and outer protection on the pond.

Before Dredging

Upon arrival

Apertures were made for pontoons to be loaded Into the water for connecting. Then loading a 3 ton mini digger on to using ramps and anchors to stabilise the pontoons for safety. This was the pontoon set up for the majority due to all the vegetation to cut, log and load onto the back. Which would then once full travel back to the same aperture to be unloaded by the 21 ton long reach using a grab to then cart away with a tractor and trailer.

This method carried on throughout with slight variations such as once the all tree and veg work is complete we loaded and sealed skip and securely strapped to pontoon preventing it sliding off. The skip was then used for loading silt and carrying back to the excavator to unload.

Once bulk has been completed the process off shaping and smoothing of the edges would begin using the long reach and still pontooned digger. And after the majority of equipment has gone and their is no need to travel back in the path ways of work areas can be attended to and cleaned up.

After Dredging