Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Soil questions Soda Ash

My contractor recently suggested an alternative to Bentonite - Soda Ash. We tried 45,000 lbs of Bentonite and it held at the very bottem but leaked out the sides As opposed to paying for more bentonite, he suggested Soda Ash. My soil is a sandy loam type...any thoughts or experience with this?

Don't know much about soda ash
I recently used pond silt. You can get it from a local gravel supplier, it's all the fine silt when they wash gravel
I paid $220 per 20 ton load
The best thing to do is scrape it and track it in

It seams to be holding for me time will tell
Then for a little more assurance I used a polymer from Neo solutions (ask for Jim )
So far so good I have the well running in the pond and it's starting to fill.......grant it there is only 3' or water, the real test is when it's full and holding

How did you apply the bentonite

I would think the bentonite should have been mixed in the whole pond basin including the walls , then compacted

I've never heard of soda ash as a sealant.

Mr James, did your contractor disc in the bentonite to mix well, and concentrated enough it at least a foot deep, then compact it in with a sheepsfoot roller and a moisture content around 15%? Bentonite seals well, in most any soil substrate, but HAS to be done properly to be effective.

I have read a little on soda ash as a sealant. I cant remember where though. I talked to a local drill supply and they told me they used to use it as drillers mud before bentonite. I would be interested what your results are and how it was applied if you try it.

Soda ash should work very well as a sealant if your pond basin soil is acidic. The soda ash should bond very well with acidic particles making a strong bond large particle.

Test your soil that you are trying to make into the ponds sealing layer. It do know in the Texas area there are some high acidic soils.

Cheers Don.