Floating Water Line
 

Hello All, 1st time poster here (but I've been lurking for a long time). What a great site to stay in touch with the lake all year round. My husbands family has been on Welch Island for over 50 years and I have been enjoying it for the last 25 or so. It has been a truly wonderful place for our kids and family to come toghether - all week long we wait for Friday night so we can head up to "camp" or as I call it "my happy place".

This year our water line is floating (it's happened before but in the warmer water months). My husband used cement blocks to hold the line down, but the ice has destroyed the blocks and now our line is floating. Thankfully we are still getting water into the cottage as it has not totally come out of the water. My question is what is the best way to hold down a water line, as the cement can be crushed by the ice flows? We have purchased a wet suit (my husbands 1st swim isn't usually until July - he hates cold water). Any suggestions would be appreciated.

possible solution
 

I dunno if it would be alright or if ok to do I would look into it though but what if you got sand bags and filled them up with sand from your beach or right near the dock and then tied them with rope or some type of line to your water line and the weight will pull it back to the bottom and depending on how far you want it off the lake floor, you can adjust the rope you used to tie them to each other. back in the day, way back my wife's family used to do this on sleeper island.
Cheap very strong way of solving the problems

Water line
 

I would take several cinder blocks (the ones with 2 holes in them) with me in a rowboat; grasp the end of the water line and thread them through the cinder blocks and deposit them in the lake at several locations along the line.

Unless your DH really wants to go for a swim.:D

Floating water line
 

Water Line Weighting
 

First of all, I use cinder blocks as mentioned above with my foot valve set vertically in one of those keg buckets half filled with concrete. It sits in 9-10 feet of water so it's well protected from boats and ice.

In shallower water, I have had blocks break due to the ice movement. I'm guessing that sitting in the water weakens the block over time anyway. Isn't the first solution to simply replace the broken ones with new ones? Cheap solution. Nominal environental impact. I have also seen where folks have used iron pipe with a diameter larger than the water line. Just thread a foot long piece every few feet. The only issues are that pipe will rust over time and need replaced.

Lowe's has these medium sized, curvy, semi-circular landscaping blocks that look like they would work same as a cinder block except without the rough edges. Seems like some cinder blocks tend to disintergrate and some last underwater for longer. Suppose it all depends on the mix of cement-sand-limestone.....right?

waterline holder
 

cinder blocks are fine however how about making some cement anchors with clorox bottles. when filled put a line thru the handle and around the pipe, pipe will go up a little off the lakes bottom. Fun project to do with kids. (making the anchors)

Floating Water Line
 

Thanks for all the great suggestions and we did use the cinder blocks. Your absoultely right the ones that broke apart were the ones closest to the shore (they were only put in the summer before last - thought they would have lasted longer). I figure that's why we are still getting water in the cottage because the ones out in deeper water must still be holding the end down. Hopefully the line won't get caught up by one of the fishing boats that troll close to shore.

water line
 

I used a hoe to dig a trench under water about 8-10" deep. Go slowly, as not to stir up the bottom and cave in your trench. lay the water line into the trench and pull the sand back on top of it. If the water line is full of water it has a neutral weight. Also, be sure to pul the line out tight to remove any bows in the line.

Credit to my neighbor for this idea...
 

Try regular red bricks, but buy the ones with the five round holes in them. Two plastic cable ties were used to secure each brick to the pipe every 8-10 feet for its full length.

They are easier on the hands, hold the pipe closer to the bottom, and are easier to move for adjustments. Because gravity pulls them underneath the pipe, they are less of a hazard to shins and toes and, if buried some, perhaps less likely to be damaged by winter ice. None have needed replacement here in ten years. :)

I use bricks - the kind with holes in them - and tie two of them together loosely with heavy rope so they can be hung over the water line like saddle bags. Works great.