Eliminating rollers

[mbabiash]

I have an area on my shoreline that I get back wash on just around 1 and 2 ball on one side of the course. The culprit is a steep shoreline with rocks in it that I can’t really move. It’s not bad when the water is down but when the water comes up it can be bad.

I was thinking of driving t posts and putting that green vinyl snow type fence just above the surface. Has anyone had success doing this or am I wasting my time. It needs to be inconspicuous so the neighbors don’t complain.

Thanks

 

[jcamp]

Our club has access to a usually off-limits site one day per year to hold a tournament. There is a natural rock outcropping that sends pretty good rollers down the course. We have rigged up a temporary, floating snow fence system that we install the day before and take out after the tournament and it works pretty well.

 

So while your set up will be a bit different, I can say that the vinyl snow fence does work and I'd expect it to work even better if it were a permanent, properly strung and stretched application. Good luck.

[gregy]

There is a thread on here about George Obser Atlanta lake using 55 gallon drums held end to end with cables and partially filled with foam. I was thinking of trying this at our lake. I looked but couldn't find the thread.

[skiinxs]

@mbabiash Is it too steep to hold rip-rap? Your would be amazed at how great of a job rip-rap can do.

[Fehlindra]

 

[Rpc29]

How much does something like in that video cost?

[gsm_peter]

@skiinxs

What is a rip rap?

[Jordan]

https://goo.gl/rx9DKr

[gsm_peter]

@Jordan

Thanks.

[Creeker]

For some thing inexpensive and easy, what about using corrugated black french drain pipe with holes and then string it along the shore line?

[mmosley899]

@gregy @Creeker I constructed and installed the system at George's lake. It works only if securely held in place at the proper water level, same for the corrugated pipe. The overall key is to absorb the wave energy and dissipate it so there is no roll back.

[Stevie Boy]

I have seen old tyres strung together with chain, but I do not know the enviromental issues with that.

[igkya]

@mmosley899, can you provide more details with the snow fence installation? i.e. how much of fence above/below the waterline and was it installed straight up/down or at an angle?

[skiinxs]

@mbabiash This is not the greatest photo, but it shows the rip-rap on the steepest bank on the lake. Even on this really steep part, the rip-rap does a great job of eliminating rollers. I think the key for you is if you have too steep of an angle on your rock ledge to keep it in place.

 

[mbabiash]

The area that is the problem has rip rap on it but it is a steep bank. I’d have to put it out in the water a ways to build it up but it wouldn’t eliminate the problem when the water gets high.

[BraceMaker]

So your banks suddenly get steeper at a certain depth? Can you not grade that area out during low water? Wait for the lake to be down and cut the slope shallower and cover it with landscape cloth and new rip-rap?

[mbabiash]

That side of the lake is all businesses and where the problem is there is a concrete retaining wall. If I cut the grade down it would be below the bottom of the wall and wash out under it.

 

[Fehlindra]

what abt place this plastic snow fence on both side of an 2x3 inch wood stud and dig it down in the bottom of the lake if possible (mud) i must say its rly cheap at least here in swe sells in stacks of 50 meter

 

[Rpc29]

@"Fehlindra “ we tried that this summer at our lake. I felt that it didn’t make a huge difference

[andjules]

@Fehlindra that's what they used at World's in Paris, but it didn't seem to work as well as in that video...

[mbabiash]

So the above snow fence pics didn’t do anything? That was pretty much the plan.

Bummer.

 

[mmosley899]

@igkya I did not use snow fencing, I used 55 gal plastic drums. Snow fencing has little effect. The drums or plastic pipe helps some but hard to keep in place. The goal is to dissipate energy as the wave rolls over the drum or pipe, so the system cannot move back or float up with the wave. The drums or pipe must float low enough to allow the wave to roll over, but not too low. A system that has a big mass that is hard to move and allows the water energy to dissipate is what you are looking for. Old tires in a large array or strung on a long pole have been used with some success.

 

@mbabiash if the bank/bottom is steep, the rock will not stay in place. The rock/rip rap should be stacked in front of the retaining wall. If you can, use an excavator to cut a ledge below normal water line on which to stack the rip rap. Otherwise rip rap will not work for you either.

[Fehlindra]

We dont have any backwash at all but sidewind from north so i would like to test double layers, its easy to test just need 1-2 meter to see how the waves behave when they go thru the first layer and then face the second prob cant expect mirror but better. Plan

attach layers on the short sides so its more room for the wave energy to dispatch i belive it works so but not sure...

[Gar]

Think about how competitive swim team lane ropes are made try to reproduce that on a larger scale.

[Creeker]

Has anyone tried a couple of plastic chains (may be 5/16") strung along the lake?

[BraceMaker]

The thing you have to remember is that the wave has a defined amount of energy and you have to modify the energy pretty significantly. That's where the mass that @mmosley899 is talking about comes into play.

 

An empty 55 gallon drum floating for instance will do very little to the wave. A series of 55 gallon drums on a pole that is anchored down into the ground such that the top of the drum is just below the surface on the water however will disrupt the entirety of the impacted zone from the wave energy.

 

Being that there is a concrete wall and fluctuating water level you could do something like a floating pier along the wall with 55 gallon drums as floats; partially fill the drums till the weight of the pier and the water just submerges the top of the drum. Then you have the mass to soak up the wave energy and you'd have a nice attractive viewing dock along that section of water. The dock could then pivot on anchors drilled into the wall which would keep it in place where you need it.

 

 

[igkya]

@jcamp Please share your setup of the snow fence. While others may not have had success, I'm hoping your setup was a bit different.

[BraceMaker]

There is the mass

http://www.wavebrake.com/images/wb002.jpg