Let me begin with, homework should always be done first and I was brand new to pond building.

I have a 3/4 acre pond that was dug about 2 years ago. (10-12 feet deep). Red clay and gray clay bottom. The bulldozer man said he packed at least 2 feet of red clay all the way around. I believe him. I will say I have seen some sand in a spot or two on the levee.

The pond filled up in about 2 days with a torrential flood we had. Within probably 2 months or so, all the water disappeared. I had hoped it would silt in and stop the leak/seep for lack of better thinking. This process will repeat itself throughout the summer with dry months and then a good 2 or 3 rains will mostly fill it back up.

All it takes is money, but what options are there to help stop this process? I am wondering about the Bentonite? I don't know if that's effective or more or less expensive than the liners??

Any help is much appreciated. I do have 2 kids that like to fish. I was thinking about putting bream of some type in there but can't start that until it will hold water.

Thanks for suggestions!

It sounds like it wasn’t cored.

Mine was also "packed with at least a foot of good clay all around", and improperly compacted by a bulldozer. With only 0.2 inches of rain since Feb 28, it has dropped almost 20 inches in 23 days by leaking at the dam-bowl junction. Clay liners by themselves are not at all effective if not compacted properly, and no amount of settling by themselves over a span of several years will help.

Thanks for the input. Keep it coming. My big question is what now?

Drain the pond and add a 2' clay liner to the entire bowl that is packed with a sheep's foot roller in 6" lifts, unless you can identify where all the leaks are with confidence. If the dam has any sand in the core, then a new core is needed as well. I know this is not what you want to hear, but throwing good money after bad is not wise. I feel your pain. I went through 4 contractors on my second pond (the last 2 to fix problems created by the first 2), but the resulting pond is as tight as a drum. I got lucky on my first pond that was built by a great pond guy, but he retired before the second pond went in. I built my 3rd pond myself. It is surprising how hard it is to find a pond digger that knows how to build a pond. I will say that some excavators that I have talked to struggle with the concepts while other think they can defy physics by exuding confidence. This makes for many frustrated pond owners. Maybe the Pond Boss owners/experts should start a nationwide certification process for pond builder that offers training with a test at the end (with a fee of course)? Then there would be a list to select from and perhaps a feedback system could be set up to be sure certified pond builders were walking the talk.

Will look into this more. Thanks for the honest truth.