Got water in the old creek bed that looks like this. Is this water from underground springs seeping up? Why would water look like this? We have heavy clay soil. No evidence of seepage from the dam.

Looks like iron oxide or some stale gasoline seepage to me...or an algae...

Are their any old coal mines in the area. if so the orange scum could be from the acidic mine runoff. could you possibly take a ph test?

If that was in this area, it would be iron deposits causing it.

Or it may just be suspended clay particles. You did state that you had heavy clay soil.

Looks like iron bacteria to me or some iron stained bacteria.

That seep color looks like your stacked column buckets, doesn't it Cecil?

It's definitely iron related.

I have the same thing behind my pond, so is it a spring?
Been there since the dam was built 2 1/2 years ago. When its 100 degrees outside and everything dried up, there is always water in it, not running, just standing there. My pond seems to hold water fine. Would be curious to hear what some of the pond builders think also?

that looks like seepage from under the dam
we have a 60 acre pond on our hunting camp that was built many years ago with a d8 dozer
being that we have so much water shed the dam leaks a lot less then the water entering the pond
Being your 3 acre pond filled so quickly, you must have a decent amount of water in flow, much less then whats seeping