Kennesaw Pond Dredging & Spillway Repair

Kennesaw, Georgia | Pond Dredging & Emergency Spillway Reconstruction

Restoring pond depth, full-pool elevation and emergency overflow protection in preparation for a trophy-fish recreational pond.

Drained Kennesaw pond before dredging showing sediment accumulation in the upper pond basin.

The Project

The approximately 1.5-acre pond had accumulated significant sediment in its primary and secondary head sections, reducing usable depth and affecting the pond’s long-term function. The owner wanted the pond rehabilitated in preparation for stocking trophy fish and creating a high-quality recreational fishing pond for family and friends.

The project also involved a failed emergency spillway on the far side of the dam. Years of erosion had lowered the spillway approximately 18 inches below the pond’s existing overflow pipe, allowing water to escape through the emergency spillway before the pond could reach its intended full-pool elevation. J Wells Precision Grading was brought in to address both conditions while working within a heavily wooded property where access, mature trees and the existing dam placed significant limitations on equipment size and material movement.

The Work

J Wells first established a siphon to gradually lower the pond and expose the sediment accumulation. Once drained, probing and evaluation of the pond bottom revealed that most of the significant buildup was concentrated in two head sections and contained by an existing ridge across the pond bottom. Rather than unnecessarily dredging the entire pond, excavation was concentrated where sediment removal would provide the greatest benefit, including areas with approximately two feet or more of accumulated material.

Access to the pond required traveling more than a quarter mile through a wooded trail, while the slopes around the pond and limited width of the existing dam made conventional large excavators and articulated haul trucks impractical. Smaller equipment allowed the dredging and material handling to be completed without widening the trail, removing mature hardwoods or subjecting the dam to unnecessary loading. Excavated material was staged in designated areas on the property for future reuse, and the dredged areas were cleaned and shaped around the existing fish habitat and irrigation-pump intake.

J Wells then reconstructed the failed emergency spillway. Fill generated from a borrow area elsewhere on the property was transported to the dam, placed and compacted to restore the spillway to the proper elevation relative to the existing pond overflow pipe and top of dam. The finished spillway was protected with woven geotextile fabric and riprap to provide a durable emergency overflow path resistant to future erosion. After the work was completed and the pond refilled, the owner reported that the pond returned to a full-pool elevation he had not seen in many years.

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Emergency pond spillway reconstruction with woven geotextile and riprap erosion protection in Kennesaw, Georgia.

From The Field

Pond siphon installed to begin lowering the water level for dredging at a Kennesaw, Georgia pond.
Kennesaw pond partially drained by siphon in preparation for the planned dredging operation.
Drained pond before dredging showing accumulated sediment in the upper portion of the pond.
Exposed pond bottom before dredging showing sediment buildup near the primary head section of the pond.
Kennesaw pond before dredging with accumulated sediment exposed after the water level was lowered.
Primary pond head section after dredging, showing the cleaned basin and remaining firm pond bottom beyond the sediment area.
Dredged upper pond area showing sediment removal and the restored transition into the existing pond bottom.
Pond after dredging showing the cleaned head section and defined ridge that limited sediment migration farther into the pond.
Secondary pond head section after sediment removal where runoff from the surrounding property enters the pond.
Emergency spillway area during reconstruction after sediment was removed from the spillway entrance.
Regraded emergency spillway during reconstruction to restore the proper elevation above the pond overflow system.
Emergency pond spillway rebuilt with compacted fill, woven geotextile fabric and riprap erosion protection.
Completed rock-lined emergency spillway designed to safely carry overflow while protecting the pond dam from erosion.

Have a Project in Mind? Let’s Talk.

Tell us about the property, the work you have in mind, and what you need the finished site to accomplish. We’ll help determine the right next step.

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