Pond Boss Magazine
https://www.pondboss.com/images/userfiles/image/20130301193901_6_150by50orangewhyshouldsubscribejpeg.jpg
Advertisment
Newest Members
Shotgun01, Dan H, Stipker, LunkerHunt23, Jeanjules
18,451 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums36
Topics40,899
Posts557,050
Members18,451
Most Online3,612
Jan 10th, 2023
Top Posters
esshup 28,407
ewest 21,474
Cecil Baird1 20,043
Bill Cody 15,110
Who's Online Now
2 members (Rainman, Bobbss), 284 guests, and 147 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
#405683 03/27/15 01:35 PM
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3
J
JDD Offline OP
OP Offline
J
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3
I am in beginning stages of a new pond dig approx 1/2-3/4 acre. It will be an embankment style pond. I have good clay and ground water with decent watershed (12 ac). Test holes have water and good clay. My question is as I excavate and core in a dam and line pond with clay wont this limit ground water coming in to pond after sealing with clay? As the land sits now it is a natural drainage area that slopes about 25ft from where the pond starts to the dam. There are a couple bubbly springs coming out of the ground within about 75 yards of where the pond will be and downhill from them. I am expecting to put in a supplemental well but would like as much groundwater as possible.
Thanks for looking. JD

JDD #405685 03/27/15 01:48 PM
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,099
Likes: 22
R
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Online Content
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Hall of Fame
Lunker
R
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,099
Likes: 22
JDD, Welcome to the forum!

Springs and groundwater are great, BUT, you are stuck with whatever level they are......what gives water, also acts as a drain to the water. If you "line" the pond with clay, it will block ground water and become a conventional pond relying on runoff. A lined pond is much easier to control as far as water level goes....groundwater ponds offer no control because whatever you pump in simply drains back out as the water table drops.



Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3
J
JDD Offline OP
OP Offline
J
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3
Thanks for the feedback!!!

JDD #406290 04/01/15 06:43 PM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 144
M
Junior Member
Offline
Junior Member
M
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 144
Welcome to the forum. How much water are you talking about? How deep did you gig the test holes? Not sure about your area but good clay and ground water usually are not in the same hole. Could the water in the hole be surface runoff.

JDD #406293 04/01/15 06:59 PM
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 977
Likes: 1
Offline
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 977
Likes: 1
JDD,
Welcome to Pond Boss...tons of good info and helpful folks here. Post some pics of your project when you get time.


...when in doubt...set the hook...
JDD #406633 04/04/15 08:44 AM
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3
J
JDD Offline OP
OP Offline
J
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 3
Thanks for the response. The holes I dug were approx 6-8' deep using a mid sized excavator. It just seemed that when the holes were dug the walls of the hole were dripping water fairly fast as well as at the topsoil line. This was something I didn't look at that close because I saw water and thought that was good. The clay seemed to pass the ribbon test in my hand but does contain gravel and I will try to post pics of the clay pile. The property is sloped about 20-25' from the top hole to the bottom hole and the holes were dug in the spring so ground was wetter than normal with frost coming out and maybe the holes relieved some pressure for the water to run not sure. Another question I have and I hope to ask it clearly enough for you is this. If I line the pond with clay how far above the expected waterline would the clay be? And would this effect how much runoff gets to ponds? The other question I have is on the uphill side of pond what is the way to tie in clay to topsoil to get the best runoff. Hopefully I worded this right for you guys to answer. Again I will be running a supplemental well too. Thanks.

JDD #406641 04/04/15 09:58 AM
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,099
Likes: 22
R
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Hall of Fame
Lunker
Online Content
Ambassador
Field Correspondent
Hall of Fame
Lunker
R
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,099
Likes: 22
JDD, groundwater comes out of the ground like from a spring, well, etc. Runoff is surface water; what runs on top of the ground, in streams, etc. The area of land uphill of your pond that will drain rain water into your pond is called the watershed. The pond area actually covered with water is called the pool area.


If you line the pond with well compacted clay, you seal off all groundwater except for the most minor of seepage. In a clay lined pond, the water will have to come from rainwater runoff, springs upstream becoming surface water, or a well.

Depending on the soils within the pond and immediately surrounding area, and the dam location, clay is "tied in" when compacting a core after digging a core trench down to good clay and onto the hillsides for the "toe'" of the dam. A builder will dig and look for good clay soils that cut off gravel seams, sand veins and other permeable substrates below the projected pool level. It is possible that the pond itself may not even need to be clay lined, but if it is lined, there is no real need to tie the uphill clay into the soils since water does not drain out uphill. Depending on your particular topography, watershed and soils, a clay liner only needs to extend above the full pool level a foot or two in order to prevent erosion in large rain events that will raise the pool level until your spillway system can drain the excess water away.

I am sure Mike Otto's new book, "Just Add Water" would explain this much better and provide you with many details on what to look for and do when building your pond.




Link Copied to Clipboard
Today's Birthdays
Bob Lusk, GaryK, GrizzFan, PhotographerDave
Recent Posts
Happy Birthday Bob Lusk!!
by Rainman - 03/28/24 02:53 AM
Relative weight charts in Excel ? Calculations?
by Mark Dyer - 03/27/24 10:18 PM
Reducing fish biomass
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:17 PM
New 2 acre pond stocking plan
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:05 PM
1 year after stocking question
by esshup - 03/27/24 06:02 PM
Questions and Feedback on SMB
by Donatello - 03/27/24 03:10 PM
Paper-shell crayfish and Japanese snails
by Bill Cody - 03/27/24 10:18 AM
Brooder Shiners and Fry, What to do??
by esshup - 03/27/24 08:47 AM
2024 North Texas Optimal BG food Group Buy
by Dave Davidson1 - 03/27/24 08:15 AM
Dewatering bags seeded to form berms?
by esshup - 03/26/24 10:00 PM
Freeze Danger? - Electric Diaphragm Pump
by esshup - 03/26/24 09:47 PM
Newly Uploaded Images
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
Eagles Over The Pond Yesterday
by Tbar, December 10
Deer at Theo's 2023
Deer at Theo's 2023
by Theo Gallus, November 13
Minnow identification
Minnow identification
by Mike Troyer, October 6
Sharing the Food
Sharing the Food
by FishinRod, September 9
Nice BGxRES
Nice BGxRES
by Theo Gallus, July 28
Snake Identification
Snake Identification
by Rangersedge, July 12

� 2014 POND BOSS INC. all rights reserved USA and Worldwide

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5