Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Fixing a Leaking Levee

I have a fairly slow leak in the wide levee to my 2-acre pond and I need a cheap fix that will last 2 years or so. I plan to drain the pond and move the levee at that point.
The leak is from a beaver/nutria den that was deep into the levee about 2/3rds the way up from the bottom.
Any ideas?

Does it look anything like this?


Or this?


I have 3 of them and just dumped 400 lbs of Bentonite in them in hopes of getting a seal. Water level is coming up so time will tell.

This one was about 1' below the waterline so we filled the opening with rock and surrounded/sealed the rock with Bentonite and built it up to nearly the top of the hole.


It sounds like yours are below the water line? If so, I let my water level drop until it stopped and this is what it revealed. BTW, I was losing about 2" per week.

I'll be watching to see if someone has some better ideas

Dam Beaver holes

I would be doing the bennoite plus lining the hole and entrance with chicken wire or something even heavier so they don't try it again.

Fotunately I've had no beaver activity for the year I've been here and no signs of them.



Wheelman, how much water are you losing per week? And keep us informed on your progress!

The water is a trickle down the back side of the levee, and stops when the water level gets below the hole on the inside. When you use bentonite, do you just pour it into the water in the pond? Will it naturally make its way to the leak?

Think cat litter. Preferably you need to mix with existing soil, then add water and pack in tight.

Wheelman, that's called the sprinkle method and even the bentonite purveyors say that method doesn't work. I have tried bentonite on numerous occasions and never found anything that it's good for.

How deep on the back side of the levee is deep enough to dig out and mix the bentonite into the soil. I don't have heavy equipment, but I hae a son-in-law with a shovel and a strong back.

Double check, but I think it has to be mixed on the front side of the levee (inside on the pond side, not on the side where its coming out).

I've seen it spread over the soil surface at the recommended pounds per square foot, then rototilled in. I don't know if a shovel will mix it in well enough.