Kavanagh Bulkhead & Boathouse
Lake Livingston, TX
Bulkhead Completed
Before
Bulkhead Construction
Boathouse Construction
Plans
Pond
The New Kavanagh Fishing & Swimming Pond
Part 1
This new pond will give us enough backfill to do the new 690 ft. shoreline bulkhead at the Kavanagh’s peninsula. We are first working on clearing the spot where we will build the new dam and then we will excavate behind it to a depth of 18-20 feet deep.
The new pond will be approximately 1.5 acres with a nice new swimming, diving and fishing pier built on it. The pond will be fed from the lake with a new 2HP pump which will also keep it aerated and healthy and maintain a constant pool elevation – kept by a level switch on the pier that will operate the pump.
The spillway will consist of a 12″ pipe running through the dam that will have a concrete seal anchor poured around it, buried in the dam to keep it from leaking and moving through the future, and to prevent animals from burrowing down the pipe. A concrete splash pad will be added below the lower end to prevent erosion.
Once we complete the project we will fill the pond and order fish. We will then do a maintenance contract with them to prevent duckweed buildup and algae. The new Hybrid Sunfish, Florida Bass, bullhead minnows and shiners will keep things fresh and make for a great kids fishing pond.
Part 2
The brush is almost completely cleared and burned away, and next week we will start excavating the pond and building the new clay dam. We hit good deep red clay at about 6-7 feet down, so now we are excited because we know lining the new pond and building the dam out of that quality of clay will ensure that it will be beautiful, clear and hold water really well.
More later in Part 3…
Part 3
The new bulkhead is almost completed, and we will start tying the wall back tomorrow. The guys are working on getting the boathouse decked today so I can schedule the roof package for delivery sometime the following week – after the bulkhead is tied back and the dirt crew starts the backfilling process.
We are looking to try to complete the bulkhead and boat ramp part project before July 4th weekend. The boathouse should be done sometime right after.
More to come…
Part 4
By the end of next week this pond should be 100% complete, with the new 15″ overflow pipe, the lake fill pump system and a pond pool elevation float monitoring system with automatic shut-off.
Also, there will be a nice little zip line system going in for the grandkids. The fishing and swimming pier will be at the far end where the dump truck is now. With all the sand and clay this pond will be beautifully clean and clear looking. It will stand out on the satellite view for sure.
Part 5
The new pond is looking better now, with a depth of approximately 30+ feet already in the deepest part, this will keep the pond clear and cool even in the hottest part of the summer. The lake feed will also help cool it down if we need to. There will be pond sprinklers and an aeration system too.
Can’t wait to finish it and start filling her up! Florida bass, crappie and hybrid sunfish, the kind that get to 2.5 pounds in two years, are coming in October, so in a couple of years this will be clean, clear and excellent fishing for the kiddos and adults alike.
Part 6
The Pond is finally completed, and the overflow pipe is installed, encasing the 90 degree elbow completely within concrete, and 2 large tubes of silicone, one for each O-ring gasket joint. We cannot take a chance 10 years from now having this thing leak because it will from now on be under 5 feet of water, buried within the dam. Simple technology, but pre-cautionary just the same.
About This Project
On a large 19.6 acre peninsula on Lake Livingston is the beautiful Kavanagh property. We will start installing a new 690 feet long primary bulkhead, 60′ long boat ramp and 1,780 sq. ft. boathouse – starting in early May. The backfill excavation will entail excavating a new pond on the property.
Materials have been dropped and we moved in on Monday May 6th. By June 6th the 690 ft. bulkhead including the peninsulas was completed, only the inside walls of the 60′ boat ramp is left undone because of the excavation which will be done by the John Deere 240 excavator next week sometime. Mikey and the boys are such badasses, not only fast, but the quality is exceptional. The new wall is about 1.5 to 2 feet over the old one. The ramp walls will create a protected harbor for the just-launched vessels, which is a really innovative design that will also provide exceptional crappie fishing being that it is deeper than most of the surrounding lake.
The half mile road coming into the property will be completely refurbished, road-based and asphalted, elevated and culverts and bridges will be installed.
The new pond will be approximately 1.5 acres with a nice pier and automatic water level maintenance system using water and a pumping system from the nearby clearwater creek.
The old boathouse has been replaced by a new one that should be complete by the July 4th weekend~!
Additional bulkheading will eventually run another 300 or so feet down the shoreline towards Peach Island Subdivision. The quarter-million dollar project has many future additions in waiting. Home is to be remodeled and bedrooms, bathrooms and porches added.
It’s such a beautiful remote setting – that coming to work is easy. Lots of wildlife here, Red Pileated woodpeckers nest in the tree on the center of the peninsula, two nesting pairs of bald eagles live on the neighboring protected and heavily wooded Eaglewood tract, one I carefully designed and laid out 13 years ago with the USACE and TPWD, back when I owned Waterside Construction & Design.
The location is truly a paradise. We see wood ducks, otters, a beaver family, and the crappie fishing is a nice lunchtime bonus. We are glad the nesting eagle pair is well over a mile away though, or construction could have been delayed. The eagles come and visit us sometimes though, landing in the Pileated Woodpecker tree, and they routinely watch the guys as they scare shad up the neighboring bank, which are quickly scooped up and taken away!
It’s like living and working on a National Geographic movie set. The other equipment is coming next week so we can start building up the elevation of the half-mile roadway into the place. After cleaning the route, we are now packing it with dense clay and the road base will go on next. When the road base is laid down we will pack it with the compacting roller we rented from Hendricks Machinery in Livingston.