I have a three year old pond with a surface area
of .96 acre and 15 1/2 ft. deep at the dam that
leaked at about 1" per day the first three years
but has slowed to about 1/2" per day this year. I
could never find a leak below the dam but while
fishing the other day I noticed bubbles coming up
from the bottom occasionly at a few random places.
Is this an indication of seepage? The pond has a
high clay content but seems to have quite a few
small rocks and gravel as well.

Thanks,
Leverne

I have noticed the same thing in my 1 1/2 year old pond.

I don't know what you mean by bubbles but Musrats cause that up here and sometimes turtles too. It just depends on the volume of bubbles you are referring to.

I was watering some new trees that we have set out
this spring and I left it purposely so that the
water would create a pond above the burlap and
gently soak into the ground. I noticed after a few
waterings, as the new soil settled around the ball of the tree, that bubbles came up through
the small pool sometimes as the water soaked around the tree....These bubbles looked almost
identical to the ones that I have seen in my pond
and it made me compare the two situations. I know
the water was sinking around the trees and it
caused bubbles so I assumed that water seeping from the fish pond might cause bubbles as well...Just a thought. I don't have any muskrats but I do have some turtles.