Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Soil questions new pond and water level decrease

I recently had a 1/3 acre pond dug by a local pond guy that has 20+ years of experience. After he was through he warned me that it will take several good rains to stabilize the soil. Meaning, the water level will drop after it first fills for about a month.

Well, after the first good rain the pond filled up but has been dropping about a foot per day since then. There is not sign of leakeage on the damn.

Is this normal or was my pond digger concerned about the soil? He did dig test holes and confirmed the adequate amount of clay prior to construction.

Im sure others in the area will chime in,Im west of Corsiscana and I pooled in Jan when it rained.Before this last rain I was already down 4-1/2 to5 ft.The ground is really dry and sucking up lots of water due to the water table down so far,Im thinking.My pond is 4 yrs + and Im pretty sure I dont have any leaks. A foot per day does sound like a lot though.

Boy, a foot per day is a lot. I don't recall ever hearing of that much wicking but I could be wrong. Was there sufficient moisture in the clay to make it adhere? Also and to the same point, where is the pond? In a lot of areas, we are dry to 6 ft. and digging a pond is problematic.

You said "a foot per day since then".

When was "then"?

Hey Letsgo...welcome to the show.
I'm a new, upcoming pondmeister, also going thru the growing pains of fill-er-up. We capped the drain last July and I kept track of the rise and gentle fall. Yes, we are seeing a minimal fall of an inch or two after an increase of about a foot. It then appears to subside...no scientific data accrued to support the findings or measurements. I will say that I would be alarmed at a 1 ft drop per day if it continued at a constant rate . Did you see this thread ?

Thanks for the information. The pond is located in central TX. The pond was dug about 6 weeks ago. After the first good rain (about 3 weeks ago) the pond filled to the spillway. It has been dropping ever since. It has slowed down now to about 4-6 inches per day. There are no visible leaks in the damn. We talked to one of the neighbors and they mentioned they had a similar problem for almost the first year of their pond. Just seems like alot of water loss.

Hey Letsgo,
I have the exact same problem. My pond is about 1/4 acre and has been filled all the way up to the spill way. Since then, it has been dropping 3-6 inches per day. My neighbor has a pond about 100 yards away and seems to be holding water very well. His pond is about 5 years old. I am thinking about using bentonite on the dam and see if that helps. I will try to let you know the results.