Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam slow leak in dam

My pond filled up in june of this year and in about October water began to show up below the dam. It doesn't acutally flow but is enough to keep the ground muddy. Would any of you be concerned about the dam failing due to water coming through the dam? I was just concerned that this water may actually weaken the dam.

James how much water are you damming up? How high is the water level above natural ground when the pond is full?

I thing the answer to your question all depends on how big a dam and how much water. My 2.5 acre pond stays wet year around at the base of the dam. In my case I'm not to worried cause I'm only holding about 4 ft of water abouve ground at the dam. If I was holding back 15 or 20 ft of water above ground I might be more concerned about it. Another words my dam doesn't have to much pressure on it like larger taller dams do.

james, its hard to say without knowing yer soils and how the dam was constructed (thickness, height, materials, compaction, etc.). if the leaking water is clear, thats good, if the water is brown (full of suspended sediment) that could be really bad as it might be eroding out dam materials.

mine has a similar problem, does not have a keyway, holds about 15 feet of water above (a sloping) grade but aint going anywhere....clear water has seeped through the base like this for 40 years although i slowed the leakage down considerably, improved spillway area, and strengthened the top of the dam. the neighbor's downstream ranch pond holds between 20 and 30 feet of water above grade, leaks, and has been like that for 100 years....but both dams are pretty large structures with large wide emergency spillways.

Dave the water appears to be clear. Mike Otto looked at it but I forgot to ask him if he thought it was dangerous. He just said he didn't think he could fix it.

well....anything can be fixed.....how much do you want to spend? i wish i had the bucks to do something about mine, but in reality i took my chance and did what i could. it holds water year round now, i just get really nervous in late summer and hope you have enough rains to keep yers good. its good the water is clear. i'd watch the area pretty closely to see if the water remains clear or if the volume of leak changes any....obviously you dont want it to increase. maybe when the pond level comes down this summer you'll see the leak slow or stop. when my pond is full, the leak is at its greatest due to the pressures of full pool. when the pond level drops 2 to 3 feet (usually by July), i quit seeing leakage below the dam.

Dave mine does the same thing and only leaks at full pool. Full pool occured for the first time in june of 07.

James, how's it going. It is important to remeber that all dams leak. There is no such thing as a dam that doesn't have some seepage issues. You shouldn't have any problems with dam intregrity, especially since Otto built it. After June of last year how much did your pond drop. Some fluctuation in water levels is natural. This occurs from evaporation and normal seepage. If your pond didn't go dry late summer then you should be in good shape. Pay attention to it, if you would like I can ask Mike about it again.

Mike Otto was out at my place today doing some dirt work with his new dozer and he let me drive it. It feels like driving a video game with two joysticks. THe only thing it needed was a button to shoot a missile. I told Mike he needed to bring it to the convention and charge people to drive it.

I got to drive a skidloader Thursday night, and it was a blast! Plus, with 3 sides and the roof airtight AND the engine heat right behind the seat, it was a lot warmer than being exposed to -20 wind chill.