Hot take: The 2021 flood in Nashville made me rethink our whole silt management plan.

We were running a 12-inch cutterhead on the Cumberland River when the water rose 8 feet overnight, pushing a massive wave of sediment downstream. Our settling ponds overflowed in hours, and we had to switch to a closed-loop system on the fly just to keep working. Do you guys still trust open ponds after a big weather event, or is it time to push for more sealed setups?

3 comments

3 Comments

butler.abby1mo ago

Damn, we went sealed after our own washout and honestly @the_val is right, it's worth the hassle.

the_tyler1mo agoMost Upvoted

Man, we switched to sealed systems after our last flood scare.

the_val1mo ago

Honestly that sounds like a nightmare scenario. We had a similar washout on the James River after a hurricane. Tbh open ponds are a huge gamble now with how fast these storms hit. Had to retrofit with temporary frac tanks last minute, cost a fortune. Ngl I don't trust open systems anymore, the sealed setup is worth the upfront hassle.