Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Drainage Tile below water surface - Do I plug??

I had a pond constucted a couple years ago. Due to record drought is has not completely filled. During construction, a 4" perforated PVC field drainage tiles was discovered and left exposed to drain into the pond.

The tile is about 6 feet below the top of water suface and is currently exposed. It only flowed initially (construction of the pond apparantly unclogged the pipe). I'm guessing under normal rain years, the pipe would flow more often.

Question- Do I plug this pipe or leave it exposed and open. Is it possible that water could leave the pond and locally saturate the soil around the perforated 4" PVC? The permanent water table is lower than the water surface of the pond (as is the case for most ponds). It seems the pipe could be doing more harm than good by letting water leach out of the pond.

Any thoughts??

if the tile went thru the pond the low draining side of tile should have been cut by the dam core. and if that is the case it is no worries.

the tile you see is presumably the one draining into the pond then. (it flowed) it should have a critter guard installed on the end. preferably this tile should outlet above the level of your pond.

i am concerned that your pond is a couple of years old and has not filled....

There may be some legal issues with altering field tile flow, let alone the closer-to-home effects of good neighbor policies. The ramifications of plugging up an operative field tile should be carefully considered.
Field tile input is usually a mixed blessing. Good, because it it will provide a valuable water source. Bad, because it is usually run-off from a farm field that may be rich in chemical nutrients. Being a plastic tile indicates that the inflow end will likely be some type of hickenbottom that will allow silt to freely flow in, also. A number of us have field tile in-flows. My drain tile story is posted on this thread.

Drainage Tile of the environment of the PVC matter, there possibly will be some intrusion (break) but there is no concern of water escape. We are handmade by capable usually, so we have finished lookout installed on bring to a close effect....

If your going to want the water level higher than the level of the tile as it enters the pond you are going to want to figure out where it gos.

The water will flow back up it if your pond level is higher. When you get a heavy rain and the tile wants to flow but can't over come the pressure you pond has on it the tile will blow out. Muskrats are little buggers and will travel up the 4"s tile and can't turn around. They will on their backs then chew the top of the tile apart. These weak spots are where the blow out will happen. X2 on the critter cover on the inlet.

Did the other end of this tile run above ground in your pond area or is there an outlet from your pond now too. If you have a second end your going to want to plug that or raise it and use it as an over flow.

If you just have the one tile and it did run out on top of the ground in the pond area as the end I would just add a critter guard. If you plug it the pressure will give you a blow out above the pond some where some time. Let it flow into the pond and back up as the level gets higher.

Cheers Don.