Dam assessment

So here's a quick overview of the visit to the dam.

First, there are only two trees too large to take out by "amateurs". Both
will need to be trimmed back some, but both can be left for now.

One is a big mesquite close to the road that is already dying. It needs to
be trimmed, but it might get bulldozed as part of building the second
spillway anyway, so just trimming it up for now is fine.

The second is surrounded by poison ivy, it's in the middle of the clump or
trees and brush in the narrow part of the dam. For sure it will probably
need to be professionally removed and backfilled, eventually. It makes
sense to do this when the berm is built and the fill work is done, although
it too needs to be trimmed and have the underbrush around it removed.

All the other brush and vegetation can be removed.

The biggest change is that with the current TCEQ requirements, a second
spillway needs to flow much less water than what was required in 2005. As a
result, it doesn't need to be another concrete one. Some fiberglass mat
compound that grass grows up and through to make it erosion resistant can be
laid on the ground and seeded. So essentially a small area can be bulldozed
next to the road and this stuff laid down and the second spillway is done.

Net result is the new estimate will probably be in the $100-110,000 range
for ALL the work that needs to be done (assuming we can get some volunteers
for the clean up of the slope and existing spillway).

There's advantages to working during a recession apparently.

This is a big enough savings that I think we need to look into getting a
loan to do the work now.