Ranch vs Farm

[herofan]

That's what we call them in Texas. We dig a hole in a creek, build a dam, and call it a tank.

Some others also mentioned building a dam in this thread. That's a new one on me too. Around here, we dig a hole with a dozer, and it fills up as it rains. Then we stock it with fish. The only dam builders here are beavers.

It is interesting to me how different parts of the country have different terms for things. Even with all the different terms, I find that I'm not scratching my head in bewilderment when I watch rural tv shows and movies. They must speak my language to a degree.

 

[greggy]

If you dig a hole, which has a mound, and it holds back natural water run off, then it is a dam, don't matter if you build it or a beaver....

A water tank is above ground and made of plastic or metal, can be on back of a truck too, or an IBC on your ute (sorry, your truck)....you can put a water tank above your roof line for drinking water, or, hot water etc etc...and no, just cause it is a tank does not mean it has an 88 or 100mm cannon on it...

 

[callmefence]

That's what we call them in Texas. We dig a hole in a creek, build a dam, and call it a tank.

Some others also mentioned building a dam in this thread. That's a new one on me too. Around here, we dig a hole with a dozer, and it fills up as it rains. Then we stock it with fish. The only dam builders here are beavers.

It is interesting to me how different parts of the country have different terms for things. Even with all the different terms, I find that I'm not scratching my head in bewilderment when I watch rural tv shows and movies. They must speak my language to a degree.

If you don't build a dam. What do you do with all the dirt that comes out of the hole??

 

[callmefence]

Let's see em... this is the tank beside the house
I'll get some more pics of my tanks when it quits raining

 

[Buck Randall]

That's what we call them in Texas. We dig a hole in a creek, build a dam, and call it a tank.

Can you enlighten me as to why someone would do that? Can't the cattle drink from the creek? If you moved to Wisconsin and talked about intentionally expanding the amount of standing water in your pasture, people would assume you're planning on growing cranberries.

 

[callmefence]

That's what we call them in Texas. We dig a hole in a creek, build a dam, and call it a tank.

Can you enlighten me as to why someone would do that? Can't the cattle drink from the creek? If you moved to Wisconsin and talked about intentionally expanding the amount of standing water in your pasture, people would assume you're planning on growing cranberries.

This ain't Wisconsin toto

 

[callmefence]

Let's see em... this is the tank beside the house
I'll get some more pics of my tanks when it quits raining

Here is a tank I built just to irrigate a newly spriigged coastal field. A ditch along with a diversion dam stealing and stockpilingwater from the creek.


Here is dinner two nights ago from another tank....

 

[herofan]

That's what we call them in Texas. We dig a hole in a creek, build a dam, and call it a tank.

Some others also mentioned building a dam in this thread. That's a new one on me too. Around here, we dig a hole with a dozer, and it fills up as it rains. Then we stock it with fish. The only dam builders here are beavers.

It is interesting to me how different parts of the country have different terms for things. Even with all the different terms, I find that I'm not scratching my head in bewilderment when I watch rural tv shows and movies. They must speak my language to a degree.

If you don't build a dam. What do you do with all the dirt that comes out of the hole??

It's usually just piled up around the edge of the pond, or I have seen it hauled away so the pond is level with the surrounding land. Perhaps it's just terminology, but I think of a dam as a structure built to hold back water, usually running water, that causes it to pool up. I never in my life heard anything mentioned about a dam when someone digs a pond.

 

[ccr]

That's what we call them in Texas. We dig a hole in a creek, build a dam, and call it a tank.

Can you enlighten me as to why someone would do that? Can't the cattle drink from the creek? If you moved to Wisconsin and talked about intentionally expanding the amount of standing water in your pasture, people would assume you're planning on growing cranberries.

These are dry creeks, only having water in them a few times a year after a heavy rain.

A dam is built to catch the water after a rain in order to have water for cattle throughout the year. This is how it is done in these parts.

This pic is during a rebuild of an existing tank that didn't hold much water and was just about dry during a drought.

The dam is at the far side of the picture below.

 

[herofan]

These are dry creeks, only having water in them a few times a year after a heavy rain.

A dam is built to catch the water after a rain in order to have water for cattle throughout the year. This is how it is done in these parts.[/quote]

With that explanation, it now makes sense. It's all about having the full picture. I haven't seen our creek ever be completely dry, and it has its own holes here and there, which we used for swimming holes as kids. I was wondering why the heck anyone would go digging in that and dam it up, but now I fully understand what you described.

 

[Buck Randall]

That's what we call them in Texas. We dig a hole in a creek, build a dam, and call it a tank.

Can you enlighten me as to why someone would do that? Can't the cattle drink from the creek? If you moved to Wisconsin and talked about intentionally expanding the amount of standing water in your pasture, people would assume you're planning on growing cranberries.

These are dry creeks, only having water in them a few times a year after a heavy rain.

A dam is built to catch the water after a rain in order to have water for cattle throughout the year. This is how it is done in these parts.

This pic is during a rebuild of an existing tank that didn't hold much water and was just about dry during a drought.

The dam is at the far side of the picture below.

That makes sense. Like most of this thread, my misunderstanding was a language barrier. What we call a creek doesn't run dry.

 

[callmefence]

Some others also mentioned building a dam in this thread. That's a new one on me too. Around here, we dig a hole with a dozer, and it fills up as it rains. Then we stock it with fish. The only dam builders here are beavers.

It is interesting to me how different parts of the country have different terms for things. Even with all the different terms, I find that I'm not scratching my head in bewilderment when I watch rural tv shows and movies. They must speak my language to a degree.

If you don't build a dam. What do you do with all the dirt that comes out of the hole??

It's usually just piled up around the edge of the pond, or I have seen it hauled away so the pond is level with the surrounding land. Perhaps it's just terminology, but I think of a dam as a structure built to hold back water, usually running water, that causes it to pool up. I never in my life heard anything mentioned about a dam when someone digs a pond.

If you just dug a hole here it wouldn't hold water long. Once you get through Clay the gravely loam or often rock will leak. The Clay is stripped off and saved every thing else is used to form the dam. Which doesn't have to be on a creek. But you do have to position things to catch run off. Once dug the Clay is put back as a lining of sorts to help seal the tank. When done properly you also dig a footing where the dam will be down to the planned bottom level.
This is filled with Clay to prevent water from leaking out under the dam. ...if just pile the dirt in a circle around the dam water can't run in right??? There has to be a place for water to run in and a overflow to allow water to flowout during heavy rain. If you just let water flow out on its own course it will eventually cause a washout. Which will exponentially over time get worse. It has to be built where the water backs up. Often into the intake and runs around the tank during a flood. There is alot more to it than digging a hole in the ground.

 

[herofan]

If you don't build a dam. What do you do with all the dirt that comes out of the hole??

It's usually just piled up around the edge of the pond, or I have seen it hauled away so the pond is level with the surrounding land. Perhaps it's just terminology, but I think of a dam as a structure built to hold back water, usually running water, that causes it to pool up. I never in my life heard anything mentioned about a dam when someone digs a pond.

If you just dug a hole here it wouldn't hold water long. Once you get through Clay the gravely loam or often rock will leak. The Clay is stripped off and saved every thing else is used to form the dam. Which doesn't have to be on a creek. But you do have to position things to catch run off. Once dug the Clay is put back as a lining of sorts to help seal the tank. When done properly you also dig a footing where the dam will be down to the planned bottom level.
This is filled with Clay to prevent water from leaking out under the dam. ...if just pile the dirt in a circle around the dam water can't run in right??? There has to be a place for water to run in and a overflow to allow water to flowout during heavy rain. If you just let water flow out on its own course it will eventually cause a washout. Which will exponentially over time get worse. It has to be built where the water backs up. Often into the intake and runs around the tank during a flood. There is alot more to it than digging a hole in the ground.

Yes, that sounds a lot more in depth than what goes into a pond around here. Who knows, there may be ponds like you describe here, but mostly people just dig a hole in the ground and it fills up with water as it rains. I know people who have dug ponds in the middle of a flat pasture field. I can't think of any ponds off the top of my head where runoff or a stream feeds them. Occasionally, there will be a pond that doesn't hold water very well, but I don't hear of it often.

 

[callmefence]

It's usually just piled up around the edge of the pond, or I have seen it hauled away so the pond is level with the surrounding land. Perhaps it's just terminology, but I think of a dam as a structure built to hold back water, usually running water, that causes it to pool up. I never in my life heard anything mentioned about a dam when someone digs a pond.

If you just dug a hole here it wouldn't hold water long. Once you get through Clay the gravely loam or often rock will leak. The Clay is stripped off and saved every thing else is used to form the dam. Which doesn't have to be on a creek. But you do have to position things to catch run off. Once dug the Clay is put back as a lining of sorts to help seal the tank. When done properly you also dig a footing where the dam will be down to the planned bottom level.
This is filled with Clay to prevent water from leaking out under the dam. ...if just pile the dirt in a circle around the dam water can't run in right??? There has to be a place for water to run in and a overflow to allow water to flowout during heavy rain. If you just let water flow out on its own course it will eventually cause a washout. Which will exponentially over time get worse. It has to be built where the water backs up. Often into the intake and runs around the tank during a flood. There is alot more to it than digging a hole in the ground.

Yes, that sounds a lot more in depth than what goes into a pond around here. Who knows, there may be ponds like you describe here, but mostly people just dig a hole in the ground and it fills up with water as it rains. I know people who have dug ponds in the middle of a flat pasture field. I can't think of any ponds off the top of my head where runoff or a stream feeds them. Occasionally, there will be a pond that doesn't hold water very well, but I don't hear of it often.

You know what.....I'm thinking we might could come to a consensus, that a pond doesn't have a dam and a tank does. ....I believe we might have solved this long going argument.....
It's been a pleasure.

 

[Dave]

One of the best ranch vs farm I ever witnessed happened in a cowboy bar in Olympia Washington. This bar and restaurant was built on the second story over looking a big indoor horse arena. I was sitting there talking to a friend who worked for the federal land bank. He was dressed in his 3 piece suit banker cloths. But I know he was raised on a 800 cow ranch in Deer Lodge Montana. So the guy who ran the mechanical bull in the bar comes over and sits down (all the girls called him "cowboy"). He was raised just outside of Olympia and most certainly was no cowboy but he did have a cowboy hat. He keeps referring to "the ranch". After about the 10th or 12 referral to the ranch my banker friend politely asks how big is this ranch. The answer was 11 acres. With a straight face the banker says, "Calving must be a bytch." It went completely over "cowboy's" head. I just about fell out of my chair. He didn't understand what I was laughing about.