First we have to build a new fence along the whole river. Dave Coonrod and Will Chiles keep it level
Brother Jim Chiles digs a trench for the first cattle water station.
We use big rocks to reinforce the worst areas of erosion; typically at sharp bends.
Near the project we find little Spring treasures.
The mighty Cat gets stuck in the mud!
We hire Southwest Drilling to put in a well to water the cattle. This is a 400' DNR listed well with an abundance of fresh, clean, deep aquifer water.
Tom and Will use the Missouri Department of Conservation tree planter behind our Massy Tractor.
Each tree gets a drink.
Chris Berg of Berg Pump Service completes the new well for the cattle water stations.
Brother Mike shows we've got to burn carbon in order to store carbon in the new forest.
We dig deep and then install the galvanized tempering pipe into #1 cattle tank
You can see the tank and incoming line from the well
Will covers the geo fabric with gravel
Ash Grove concrete brings about 3 yards of mud. We start with tank 1
Will finishes the slab, tank 1
With some effort Will and I locate tank 1 over the embedded galvanized pipe
Along the river, we stage a number of large burn piles and when the wind cooperates, we light them up.
Will is dressed for success as he begins spraying over 20 acres to prepare the land for tree planting.
MargyMay helps deliver a large galvanized tube that goes under the new cattle water stations.
Will and the new spray rig.
Daniel and David organize 5,000 trees into groups for planting.
Philip hand tamps each tree to make sure the roots are properly in contact with earth.
As we work, erosion claims more trees!
We only quit with the sun sets.
Or when the Spring rains begin...
The first batch of tires gets recycled.
David preps the ground below the galvanized tank
The top of the tank reaches ground level and we backfill with mostly gravel
We use geo fabric before applying the washed gravel
Jim and Will build a form for concrete and install steel reinforcing
We pour the small well house slab
We place the tank at location 2
Brother Mike Chiles cuts down immense dead trees.
Mountains of tires, fencing and trash of all kinds come out of the river into collection points.
In order to plant trees, we have to kill off the fescue grass in the land next to the river. Will mixes glyphosate in the spray rig we will pull behind Pepe the UTV.
Mike pulls out old cross fences that had turned the river into a feedlot.
FireChief Brother Jim keeps the fires burning.
David, Tom, Will and Daniel soak the trees first before planting.
David follows behind with the spray rig... now clean and converted into a water rig.
The old tree planter puts trees in a row with spacing that depends on the variety of tree.
We experiment with ways to plant trees along the river bank where the tree planting machine can't go.
Commissioner Coonrod keeps the plants hydrated.
David and Joey Hancock install pipe for the #2 cattle tank
Group effort to get the tank in the hole
Mike cuts a hole for the pipe
We move on to tank 2 location and we prep with earthwork
Mike and Will build the form and install rebar, tank 2
We prepare the well equipment for a small slab
We load the tree plow for return to the Missouri Department of Conservation. Thanks for the loan!