Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations LEAKING POND

I HAVE A ONE ACRE POND LOSING WATER FOR AROUND SIX MONTHS NOW,IT HAS DROPED ABOUT 2 FEET. I HAVE SEARCHED EVERY WHERE FOR A LEAK, WICH I CAN NOT FIND.I HAVE LEVEY AROUND THE POND,SO YOU WOULD THINK IT WOULD BE EASY TO FIND,WRONG.THE WATER HAS TO BE GOING SOMEWHERE, IF ANY ONE HAS A IDEA PLEASE LET ME KNOW, THANKS

It is very possible that you're losing it to evaporation. During a dry and hot spell I will lose up to .25 inches per day. Over that period of time 2 feet would not be uncommon if you're not getting water coming in.

mike, thanks for the reply, but i have considered the thought of evaperation, but after a big rain the pond goes right back to a low level with in 2to 3 days.

Is this a six month old pond or just started losing water six months ago? My pond is about 9 months old excavated and I will lose up to 3/4 of an inch a day which is not unusual for a new pond that the bottom has not sealed yet. PS wish I could get a big rain! Had two inches at work yesterday but my house 40 miles away 6 drops. Bob in Hartselle Alabama

Duck man - you are not providing enough information. Do you mean it drops two to three feet in a couple days? You have to get out there and measure accurately. Try setting a bucket of water in the pond filled to the same level as the pond. Leave it there until the pond drops a measurable amount and see the difference in level between the bucket and the pond level. Make sure the bucket is filled to the top so the water is not protected from the effects of the wind in drying the water surface. You then need to determine exactly how much water is coming in, what your surface area is, and calculate how much that influx should raise your water level over the same time period. If there is water coming in the bucket should not have more water in it than the pond. If the bucket loses more water than the pond then you are losing to evaporation. You probably also have some seepage.

Does it always drop to the same level and stop or does it continue dropping until a rain refills it?
During the six months when it dropped two feet was it all at once or gradual? You have to give full symptoms because their can be many physical causes for a leak and or seepage. You might have a good seal below a certain point but maybe a sand seam along the shore somewhere above a certain level. Might be your pond is very porous and it is just dropping back to ground level. Is it spring fed? Might be that the water is pushing back out some underwater spring into the ground table. You have to think of all these things and give enough info.

The way I search for leaks is to get in the water and walk on the bottom. This may not work depending on soil conditions and water depth. I have also found leaks by probing with poles when the water was very cold but that is a very slow and demanding process (and won't work on even a breezy day without some help keeping the boat still). I wouldn't even try either method until you are sure it is a leak and not seepage or evaporation.

Hi guys! I'm having the same problem with lowering water levels in my 1/2 acre pond. We have been in somewhat of a drought down here in South Louisiana and have received little rain. The fella that dug my pond has dug many, many before. When he first "scooped", he said that we have the right type of soil and that our pond would definitely hold water. We do have some large trees near the pond that we think may be "drinking" from the pond. What is the difference between "seepage" and "leakage". I've read many posts on leakage and still don't quite comprehend it.???
A friend who has a pond came over one day and said that we needed a pump to keep the water levels up or our fish would die. Our fish are still alive (bream, cats, minnows and bass). Our pond is 25'-15' deep in some areas. I've not accurately measured, but I'd say that this summer it has dropped 5 ft. Any suggestions? We didn't think that this little fishin' hole could get so complicated and involved.

Hi since my last post I have reset my property line on the south side and this put 15 trees on my property of which 8 have come down, I am no longer losing water in the pond and am actually gaining with the well pump putting between 2 and 4 thousand gallons per day, So I agree that trees do suck up alot of water and am going to take out the other 7 trees. Bob in Hartselle, AL

The difference between leakage and seepage is as follows. All soils will adsorb and transmit water. I would classify seepage as water that is moving through the soil due to this natural ability of water to pass through the soil. I would classify a leak as water that is running out bypassing the soil. This can be either because the pond lining cracked and the water is running down to a more porous layer of soil, or there was a small pipe of soil that runs through the liner to a more porous layer. Water running through these will can make the hole open wider and wider. Sometimes you may have a seam of gravel or sand that runs through your pond lining that will not erode and yet leaks quite quickly. I would say if the soil in such an area becomes more porous due to water flow or was much more porous than the overall liner then I would call it a leak. Also water moving through any rock cracks would be called a leak (if you have ledge in your pond).

Thus seepage is water moving through a uniform pond soil lining is seepage. You should have a uniform lining. While water flowing through an unusually porous spot in your liner would be a leak. Like many things there are gradations between the two.

In reading the posts about trees using a lot of water, it made me wonder about the same principle, but instead of trees, I have lots of Cattails.

In my 2-acre pond, I have a ton of cattails in the shallows and along several banks. That much surface area is bound to use a lot of water. My pond is down a good bit, due to lower than normal rainfall, but I may have a leak as well. Just wondering if the CT's are contributing to the loss also.

Anyone found a noticable improvement in water levels when Cattails are removed?

Thanks,
Dave
Birmingham, Alabama

Hey Dave!
Cattails do use water. But, pound for pound, not nearly as much as willow trees. Cattails have a thick, waxy coat on their leaves, making it harder for water to leave. Kinda like cactus...except cactus hold water much better than cattails.
My experience is this...removing cattails doesn't necessarily have a big impact on water retention.
One qualification, though. If a pond has 20-30% coverage, so many cattails can definitely have an impact on water quantities

Thanks Bob. I'm nowhere near the 20% mark so I'll just let 'em go. They're not expanding significantly in range, and the bass love 'em. A pain to fish around sometimes, though. I've found the best non-chemical way to get rid of them is to just wade out there and yank 'em up. Probably good for the compost bin!
Thanks as always for the advice and help!
Dave

Has anyone used a witching Rod? I have used two bent welding rods and have located a vain below the dam of my pond. I have found water below the dam which could be ground water, about 10 feet down. I used dye and the water did change to the same color below the dam. Not sure yet if it is the leak or not. It seems to be holding now. It's good to hear that I have the same problems with leaks that others have.