Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Soil questions Driller's Mud

My one acre pond obviously has a leak. It was full when I bought the property in November of last year and started dropping in May when the creek that supplies it stopped flowing. It is now almost conpletey dry and all my fish have died. I have heard of many methods to control the leak and would appreciate any input. I have researched bentonite and ESS-13. Of these two the ESS-13 seems the better option becuase of the guarantee. I was qouted ~$7,500.00 for the water borne method, only thing is I have to wait until it fills up again. Someone mentioned they had great success with powder form driller's mud and said it is less expensive. Does anyone have any experience with this method? I again would appreciate any insight.

RF

Most drilling mud is a mix of bentonite, water, caustic soda (low amounts) and some other things to make it slippery and increase weight. We ( I work for an oilfield service company with a mud division) researched "soil farming" which is basically spreading this stuff out and then tilling it into the soil. I would not use "used" mud, since it is often slightly contaminated and alkaline. Not bad enough for a large field, but too much for a pond. But the basic ingredient of bentonite from a drilling source MIGHT be about the same as the pond stuff. I would research heavily, though.

Red,

From your post, you do not state whether you have a dam or not. If so, does the dam incorporate a spillway pipe with an antiseep collar? Could your problem be something other than soil related?

Russ

Yes there is a dam but there is no drain pipe only a spillway does that help in your evaluation?

Red,

With no drainpipe, thats one item that can be scratched off the suspect list. Do you see any sign of muskrats in the pond? Others here have mentioned that rats burrowing into a dam can lead to leaks. Before spending $7K on a soil amendment, I'd want to make darn sure, that was the problem. Have you contacted the previous owner to see if he/she had this problem. Perhaps you could hunt down the contractor and quiz him. Good luck Red, keep us posted.

Russ