Guys-

I am in the process of digging out the ponds on my place due to the lack of rain. Can I simply build up the dam with the dirt/clay mix that I am "digging" out. Technically, I am using a backhoe to add slope/depth to the edges. Can I take this mixture and push it into a bowl-like dam? Will it hold water when/if the pond fills back up?

That all depends. My pond is lined with clay, and it could be ruined by "digging it out" if you weren't aware.

Now assuming you're in good soil, then what you're doing sounds fine.

Well, I'm not really "digging" it out. The dirt that is exposed is just that, and I'm scraping it down little by little, then forming piles around the perimeter of the pond. But, at the water's edge is clay and I'm slowly scraping it out (up the bank) and forming a bowl-like rim around the back-side of the pond. It's held water to it's normal depth, just trying to get it to catch more water and hopefully add depth the easy way.

My knowledge in this area was gained from reading what others on this forum have written.
Some ponds are lined with clay by the builder as a barrier to prevent leakage and by scraping that away you may be puncturing that barrier.

If you are trying to raise the water level one method is to raise the dam rather that digging out the basin. You may or may not be able to use pond bottom buildup , probably not. You need to know about the soil first. Pond buildup is very hard to work with when wet and often dries into mush rather than good clay/dirt.

Chad,

Yes, I've done something similar. In addition to checking to make sure you don't invalidate the integrity of the existing pond bottom and making sure that the dirt used in the build-up has adequate clay (as opposed to muck), it is advisable to prepare the surface area on the dam for the new dirt. Remove grass, scuff up the soil, and make sure that the new dirt will readily mix and integrate with the existing dirt. Doing all those things should give you the result you are after.

its been said a couple ways already, but doesnt hurt to say it this way.....its all about the soil.

if you dont know clay from silt you could be getting yourself into trouble. just about anybody should know sand from silt or clay, but sometimes knowing silt from clay or silty clay or clayey silt or any combination thereof..........most pond bottom build up is a silt/organic matrix that does not hold water well enough to serve as dam material. if your digging deeper into your substrate, as mentioned above, you could be compromising your pond bottom.

at a minimum, perform a shaken glass jar test in the field to help determine the rough percentage of clay versus silt in soil you are using for your dam. if it is high silt percentage, you might look at other alternatives to gain pond volume.

are there any threads here for methods of field testing soil?, if not, perhaps that would be a worthwhile thing to pursue for the benefit of fingerling PMs (Mr. Otto?..who's the thread master.....ewest?).

Your County ought to have soil maps available for public viewing. get to know what's on yer property. fortunately i had good clay soils readily available on prop. i also trucked in some pure clay (kaolinite) from a local quarry for added insurance. you prob. already know water is powerful stuff, the more dam structure you build up, the higher the risk for adverse conditions if not done properly.

dittos on ML...prepare the dam surfaces to receive the additional soil, blend and trackroll them in well.

good topic, thanks for lettin me post my 2c.

D.I.E.D.