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Irelandletsdig18 digs deep for a dam that holds water
Chris reaches solid red clay beneath sand and topsoil as Robert joins the pond build with a GPS-equipped Komatsu dozer.
letsdig18
Story of Why this story? The channel's weekly summary: what went up this week, what is drawing views now, and where the channel stands among similar channels.
Its Dam Time! Digging The Core Trench
Video summary
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- 1:16Chris begins excavating the core trench with the Volvo EC350E.
- 2:08He explains why roots and stumps must come out before clean clay seals the dam's foundation.
- 7:00An inspection reveals sand and topsoil above solid red clay, about 12 feet down.
- 12:38The dump truck delivers the first fill loads into the trench, where Robert spreads the clay.
- 16:00A Bomag padfoot roller compacts the layered clay before wet mud is hauled away.
Roots, stumps and pockets of sand are not what Chris wants beneath a new dam. In letsdig18's "Its Dam Time! Digging The Core Trench", he excavates down to solid red clay, about 12 feet below the surface, before the filling can begin.
The point isn't simply to make a deep hole. Chris explains that removing organic material and repacking the trench with clean clay creates a seal beneath the dam. Robert spreads the incoming loads with the Komatsu dozer, then a padfoot roller compacts the clay in layers. The pond's most important work is happening where, eventually, nobody will see it.
That upload was the most watched of the week's four new videos, reaching roughly 140,000 views. The comments give the buried engineering its due: viewers discuss why coring matters, and one recalls having a leaking pond rebuilt after a sand pocket was discovered beneath the dam.
The rest of the week follows the project upward and outward through "Record Day Moving Dirt! New Dam Is Rising" and "One Side Of The Pond Is Dug! Pond Is Shaping". The newest upload, "Installing GPS On The Dozer To Help Production!", had the strongest first-day audience of the four and now carries the most daily viewing momentum. The older "Busting The Old Pond To Drain It!" also remains active, keeping the earlier work in the picture.
Subscribers grew modestly over the week, while daily views are now running about half above the channel's usual level. Among nearby machinery channels, Mr Hewes had a particularly large week, while Diesel Creek drew substantial weekly viewing too. For letsdig18, the continuing thread is wonderfully practical: drain the old pond, establish the seal, then build the new dam.
Published on Trari
Where next?
What viewers say
Coring is very important and done right. Years ago I had a pond built and I told them don't core it ,its all clay. They built it and it didn't hold water. Had them come back take out the dam and core it
They found a big sand pocket the water was following out. They dug it all out and rebuilt the pond ,it was great after that.@RandyM-h5mSee it on YouTubeOffroad truck wasn't even leaving tire prints there at the end 👀
@IYIENACESee it on YouTubeMortise and tenon is what I call the core for the pond dam one that size needs a good joint to hold it together looks good as always. Thanks for sharing.
@DavidHouser-i5rSee it on YouTube
6 more comments
It’s always great to watch a real, professional pond builder show what makes his ponds successfully hold water. Digging the core trench is absolutely necessary!
@klrwhizkidSee it on YouTubeGreetings from Australia 🇦🇺
The dozer looks great, with the paint job and the decals.
Excellent explanation for the need of a core trench
I would never had known that you need a core.
This is shaping up to be one epic dam build. 👍@chrisflesser2171See it on YouTubeHaving watched you and Mike building upteen ponds, I've come to think of the core as the actual dam, with the front and back slopes serving as support and mass to hold it in place.
@greggd3351See it on YouTubeMy favorite projects of yours will always be the building of dams.
@weneedhopethankyou1513See it on YouTubeThe new dozer can certainly plow through the dirt :-)
@charlessmythSee it on YouTubedozer looks good after the face lift, Canada
@christopherleblanc9599See it on YouTube
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The videos drawing views on letsdig18 right now
- Channel
- letsdig18
- Subscribers
- 754,000 ▲ 1,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 1,049,955
- Videos published this week
- 4
- Video published
- October 29, 2026
- Video views so far
- 139,673
- Views on its first day
- 99,108
The numbers
Here is how letsdig18's pond-building week translated into views and subscribers.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which excavator does Chris use to dig the core trench?
Chris operates the Volvo EC350E while excavating the dam's core trench.