Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Soil questions Leaky pond

My father and I had a 1 acre pond built on our property in western NY last Fall. The site is on the side of a hill with 4 springs just above it on the hill. According to the contractor are soil was marginal but with enough compacting it would be fine. It filled to about 4 feet in a weeks time but then stopped rising. We bought 20 50# bags of bentonite and spread it by hand on the surface of the water and up the banks. Didn't do any good. Is there any place in my area to buy bulk bentonite? Is it worth the money and trouble? Thanks

Steve,

The results are very mixed with bentonite. The odds of success are higher when it is applied during construction, not after a leak is found.

In your situation, it takes a lot of the stuff to even have a chance...8 inches thick over any areas suspected of leaking is what the producers of bentonite in Texas have told me personnally for an existing pond with water. That is a lot of material in a 1 acre pond, a whole lot.

The water is going somewhere...have you found where that is? Look carefully around the backside of the dam for wet spots or areas. If it isn't going through the dam but is leaking through the bottom that is another different problem.

Last, all new ponds leak some and generally settle out after a few months. If you haven't given it time, then do that and look carefully for evidence of leaks.

I hope that the clue you gave that the soil was "marginal" isn't the defining parameter because if it is, unfortunately you are looking at some expensive options in order to have a pond at that site including:

1) draining and hauling in good clay to line the pond
2) draining and using bentonite to seal
3) draining and using a liner to seal

All expensive and time consuming.