The Dams And Plumbing

The dam design we are using will be an mud bottom , with a under gravel type of filter.

Starting at the bottom is the under gravel filter.
The funtion of an under gravel filter is to draw water down through a strata such as gravel, bringing it into close contact with as much of the surface area of the strata as possible. Growing on the surface of the strata(in fact the surface of every thing in the ponds)are two bacteria which consume the waste from the fish. Suspended solids are also drawn down and tend to settle out in the bottom.
Cirulation is facillataded by an airlift tube which airates the water as well as cirulating the water.
There is a pipe running under the collection cavity, aggi pipe with bigger holes in it, so when the tap is turned on the force of the water in the dam pushes, and built up sediment is collected by the pipe and taken out of the dam and feed to the settlement pond. This pipe also allows the draining of each pond.

The muddie area between the UG filter and the waters edge is planted with long val and other water plants. Creating a natural environment for the cray fish and processing the nutrients in the water, as well as providing lots of surface area for bacteria.

Cages 2-3 meters square are situated above the UG filter to house the fish and are fed with the water coming to the surface from the UG filter, continuously flushing the cages with fileted and oxygenated water. This also facilitates a floating walkway providing access for maintenance, sorting and harvesting. Habitat cells are placed at random across the bottom of the dams. Placed in all open areas are milk crates on stands so the the tops are below the surface these hold waterlilies which are saleable and also provide shade, provide camouflage for the critters, surface area for bacteria, food for critters. The stands have habitat cells attached to them.

Between the dams are long creeks with an assortment of local and ediblel plants. A verity of environments sandy, rocky, twisty and straight sections provided an natural water filter as well as unique environment both below the water and above.

Wiers with flow traps situated at the junctions of dams and creeks make harvesting and sorting of cray fish an easy continuouse process.
This system is repeated as often as space permits. The only dams left are the settlement pond which is isolated and the out put is screened, here we are rasing ells harvested when market dictates then the pond is drained and the sediment is removed and used as fertilizer.
And the catchment dam is the last pond in the system. Water from this dam is recirulated to the top pond to provide flow through the dams, water is also taken for irrigation of the orchard and small crops production.

Water taken for irrigation is replaced with fresh water thus preventing a build up of fertilizer / toxins in the system and maintaining water leavles.