Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Priority and issue leak worse than I thought & DW

I've hesitated to weigh in because leaks around overflow pipes .. it's a sensitive topic. But I will share my experience. I lost a dam, the water and the fish. The pipe wasn't properly installed, water leaked around it, down the outside of the pipe. The pond filled within a month of dam completion and I supposed it hadn't had any time to settle which may have helped. When water got to the overflow pipe, it washed the pipe out. I would not leave any leakage around the outside of the pipe. That says the pipe was not properly installed. For your own peace of mind, get it sealed properly.

Went down to the pond this morning before heading to work. The leak by the pipe is back down to a very small trickle. Have to look closely to see the movement of water.
The water is still up about half way around the pipe on the inlet side.
That tells me that the leak is near the midpoint of the pipe.. I'm as green about all this stuff as can be though.

Hand fed the YP.. Man it's fun to see them hit the feed. It's nice to see something going like it's supposed to!

JMO and I'm sure you've been in touch with TJ, but why not buy one unit of SoilFloc and apply it in small amounts over a length of time? Maybe apply a tenth of a unit on the pond side of the drain pipe where the leak is most likely and then repeat that process ten times. Maybe I'm picturing this all wrong but it seems like the source of your leak can only be in a small area. Worst case you're out a few hundred dollars.

I still haven't talked with TJ. I will.
We've got too much going on with life right now. I'm just hoping I don't have some catastrophic failure in the next few weeks.

This lower flow only confirms my first "sure" thoughts......the pipe compaction (or lack of) was the culprit.

Time for another first for you, setterguy, pray for LIGHT rains now...lol

My friend had the same issue on a pond built last Summer - we received heavy rains this Spring and it filled 8' to spillway in a couple days. He noticed a small leak around his drain pipe, despite installation of two anti seep collars, we think it was due to lack of hand compaction around the tube.

He applied a cup or two of the linear and crosslink polymer sealant around the tube that I had leftover from my initial project, packed with some clay, and the fissure sealed in a few hours. I had never read about the polymer being used in this manner before, but I was happy it worked for him.

I still urged him to contact the contractor, have him return, and hand tamp the clay surrounding the tube as it should have been performed initially. I think that's happening this Fall.

Jeff feel free to call me, I may have some product left I could probably just mail to you for free considering how little you'd need. Anything to help a PB member - leaking ponds are a nightmare!

Looks like an easy fix to me. drain the pond down below the inlet pipe and dig it out. Put a new corrugated pipe in that just goes straight thru the dam instead of bringing it clear down to the bottom of the dam.

Now your only problem is channeling the water out the overflow pipe. I use rocks to prevent erosion. If this is your fix consider yourself very fortunate.

Pretty sure the plan is..... removing the pipe as currently installed, compacting the piped area properly, reusing/adding to the original pipe and creating a new bottom draw, automatic siphon system that will be leak free.

The guys that put in the pipe went by the pond over the weekend and packed in a bentonite slurry around the entrance to the pipe.
The water level had dropped another inch or so.
I went down behind the dam yesterday. Zero water coming out beside the pipe. I suspect it has as much to do with the water level dropping to just covering the bottom half of the pipe entrance into the dam, as the bentonite slurry.
The othe leak has almost stopped too. That tells me, it must start up pretty high on the sam also.
I'm just going to wait and see what happens with the next rain..

Keep an eye on it. As far as I can remember, Bentonite has never been a permanent fix. It lasts for a year, maybe two. Talk to Dave Davidson.

Thanks for the heads up.. You know me, I'll be worrying,, and watching.

Went back to the pond Sunday. Water has dropped an additional 6 1/2 inches in the last three weeks. The good news is, the comparison bucket I placed on the dam had lost 4 1/2 inches in the same time period. There is no seep by the drain pipe, and the seep at the base of the dam coming through the original creek bed has all but stopped. There is still moisture there, but I could find no current, or trickle.
Duckweed is gone. Water clarity is better, and the water has gone from a brownish tint, to a greenish tint.
The pipe is still a major concern. The guys that installed the pipe came back in and packed bentonite around it, but either didn't get it on the underside of the pipe, or it has washed away. (See pic, the opening is in the shadow.)


Also, YP eating hand thrown feed better than ever. Millions of FHM swarming me when I swam. Bullfrogs everywhere, and tadpoles rising up looking like rain drops.
Have another algae bloom.. Green this time.


Tadpoles.

Was at the pond yesterday. Had about an inch of rain since the last visit, and the pond was up about an inch. I dug into the bentonite around the drain pipe, and packed it in underneath. As I dug in there, it was obvious water had been sitting in there all along. It was saturated. Got most of the bentonite packed in underneath the pipe.
I think the guy that went out to fix it, just dumped it in on top if the pipe. It did virtually nothing.
After pic..

If that doesn't work, give TJ a call asap.

Hopefully there is some on the way from him soon.. I know I'd be better off putting in a new drain system, but I'm trying to get the aeration system done.

Hey, can you have too many FHM?

If I were to stock HBG, how many would you recommend?

Just an update. I last checked the pond level on the 12th. Today the 21st. It's down another inch and a half. So, overall down 17.5" since it was full back in August. Very little rain since then. Maybe 1" total. The leak by the pipe is, of course, stopped because the level has dropped below the pipe.
The leak through the core, at the base of the dam, is still a very small seep. No noticeable current, but there is moisture behind the dam.
Any opinions welcome, in regards to fix.
Thanks
Jeff

Jeff what issue are you looking for help on? Only options on a leak are either to mechanically fix by draining pond, drying out and replating with clay, treating with a sealant, or living with it.

Jeff, did you check your comparison bucket for water loss from evaporation? 1.5" in 9 days is easily from evaporation. The pipe you have needs removed and repaired if you want to sleep well at night. I think the polymer applied where things are always wet will take care of any seeps, but that pipe is always going to be an issue from simply getting wet and dry, swelling and contracting.

I guess I'm just going to leave this leak. If I could pinpoint it's starting point, I'd go for a fix. But I'm afraid it must originate at a very low level. If the level keeps dropping due to evaporation and the leak, with no rain in the immediate future, I'll have an idea where it is.
Until then the leak at the base of the dam will either self seal, or I'll just live with it.

Just curious. This weed has popped up in the zone between where the high water mark was and, the new water level. (Down 20" from Aug 1st).
Is this a mature duckweed? FYI, there is zero duckweed in the water.

Setterguy,

Duckweed only gets about a 1/4" wide at the most. That is a different type of weed.

Thanks Chris,
One less thing to worry about.

Well, I was all worried about the pond dropping another 1.75" over the last week (24" since Aug 1) then I sat down, looked around, and maybe I'm not all that depressed any more..

Water is back to full level and coming out overflow pipe. So far, so good with the leak that was coming out alongside the pipe. The bentonite is holding. Had about 3" of rain in last 72 hours. (7" in last 72 hours in St Louis.)