If the pros are going to put in that much effort to drain the work site, then it is clear how much productivity would otherwise be lost working the job on wet clay slopes!
Not only production, but there is no way to compact the soil if it has too much moisture. SO, the pond wouldn't be sealed and it would continually leak. Also, you couldn't see what you are digging and there would be no way to contour the pond bottom. Many reasons not to dig in water, not only productivity.
He estimated that just from a production standpoint that digging in water added 30%-40% of cost to the job, and then the pond bottom still wouldn't be sealed.
