Pad Construction - Day 41

A clear, dry day and work continued on the well pad. More stone was dumped on the access road from the stream crossing to the pad area.



Trucks hauling crushed stone to the pad area.



On the pad area, crushed stone was being stockpiled at the south end of the pad. Large rock is added to the pad base at the north end of the pad.



Equipment on the move to the pad area.



New silt fence is installed at the north end of the dirt stockpile.



A dozer working the dirt stockpile above the slope on the east side of the pad.



Moving the fuel tank.

Killdeer Chicks

While checking the killdeer nest today I noticed the bird was acting different than on my past visits to the nest.



On closer inspection of the nest I saw three of the four eggs had hatched and the fuzzy little chicks were still in the nest. Mother's Day for the killdeer.



The little chicks were motionless and huddled around the remaining egg. By the afternoon the fourth egg had hatched and the mother had moved the chicks to another location.

Pad Construction - Day 40

After yesterday's activity, today was quiet and no one was on the site.

Wood Duck Nest

While checking on the nesting goose at the pond I noticed a couple clumps down feathers near one of the nesting boxes. I had placed the nesting boxes at the pond several years ago but hadn't seen any nesting activity until today.



I checked the nesting box and found 14 eggs. I didn't see the wood ducks at the pond today but the hen should be ready to start sitting on the eggs soon.

Pad Construction - Day 39

Activity at the site picked up today as a large crew of workers were on site to replace the existing silt fence, along the downhill (west) side of the construction site, with "Super Silt Fence".



By the end of the day the new super silt fence had been installed along the downhill edge of the site.





Water tankers arrived this morning to remove the silty standing water from the pad area.


By the afternoon most of the water had been removed but the dark sky may have different plans on the water level.

Pad Construction - Day 38

After yesterday's activity of hauling stone to the pad area, today was a quiet day. A large area of the pad has been covered with stone but the water hazard is still present. View from the northeast corner of the pad looking southwest.

Click on image for an enlarged view.



Drain installed in the southeast corner of the pad.

Pad Construction - Day 37

After a rain out yesterday the crew was back and rock was being hauled to the pad area. Six trucks lined up at the stream crossing waiting their turn to unload.



As one truck climbs the hill to the pad another truck leaves and six trucks wait.



This truck was able to climb the hill, but ...



some trucks needed a little push to make the hill.



Once on the pad area the trucks quickly dumped their loads.



At the south end of the pad a drainage ditch was being installed.



Yesterday's rain left the northeast corner of the pad underwater.



Draining water from the northeast corner of the pad.

Pad Construction - Day 36

After 4 dry days in a row the rain returned late yesterday afternoon. By 8:00PM yesterday we had received 1.25 inches of rain and an additional 0.5 inches over night, a total of about 1.7 inches of rain by 7:00AM today. There was no construction activity at the site today due to the water on the pad area.



By 7:00AM there was still a lot of water flowing into the silt socks. Southwest corner silt sock.



Water flowing into the silt sock this morning.



The southwest corner silt sock was full hours after the major part of the storm had passed.



Another section of silt sock that was full this morning.

Sitting Duck

I've seen a pair of mallard ducks on our pond this spring and several times I would see the ducks and geese together.



This morning I found the duck sitting on a nest at the edge of the pond.



I'm not sure when the duck started sitting on the eggs since I've always seen the pair together until this morning.

Pad Construction - Day 35

Another dry day and the crew is grading the south slope of the pad.



Other slopes with finished grades were covered with an erosion control straw nettling.



View of a roll of straw netting.



Re-seeding crew with rolls of netting to install.



Another excavator arrived on site.


A load of large rock arriving for the pad area. Note the cloud of dust from the dry conditions.



Wide angle view of the pad area looking west from the top of the uphill (east) slope of the pad.
Click on image to enlarge the view.

Pad Construction - Day 34

Another dry day and the crew was working on grading the slopes of the well pad. View of the northwest corner of the well pad looking south.



View from the northwest corner looking west.



Grading the uphill (east side) slope of the well pad area.



View of the pad area looking south.

Pad Construction - Day 33

Another dry day and the crew continues to work 24 hours a day. Moving dirt on the pad area near the wellhead marker.



Grading the uphill slope (east side) of the pad area.



Digging deeper into the blue-gray clay layer on the pad area. Note the round glacial boulders in the clay layer.



Photo of the blue-gray glacial boulder clay and the tan colored clay from the upper layer of hardpan.



An excavator working the downhill (west side) slope of the pad area.



Retrieving a run-a-way boulder that slid down the slope and was stopped by the new "super silt fence"