I purchased a piece of property in the spring and the pond was 2 1/2 acres. During the summer the pond was leaking and the water was going down fast. I believe the leak has stopped because it is not wet behind the dam now. However the pond is down to about 3/4 of an acre. There are two willow trees about 8-10 inches in diameter growing in the dam. I believe these could be the source of my leak. They are a live right now but I was thinking about cutting them down to prevent more growth. AFter purchasing the property it is not in my budget to spend a lot on renovating the pond at this time. Maybe in a couple of years. So the question is do I cut them down or leave them?
Thanks for any advice

It's probably quit leaking because the water level is below te leak on the pond side of the dam..

It could be but do you believe the trees could account for some? How do you suggest repairing the leak?

I'd say it's for sure the trees.. How much lower below the trees is the water level? Your gonna need to remove the trees rootball and all then reline the area with a thick layer of well compacted clay and hope it works.. There's other guys here that are more knowledgeable on this subject than me..

The general rule of thumb is that trees 4" dia and less can be killed and left on the dam. The roots aren't large or long enough to do damage when they decompose. Larger ones I would remove like BGK said. Willow trees take up a lot of water, but not the amount that you are seeing. Was the dam wet on the back side where the trees are?