Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Pond leak

I have a one acre pond about one year old, its been holding water just fine over the last year but in the last week it started to leak. Mud and clay bottom and it’s dropping 1” per day…any ideas why?

i'm not sure you have a leak,about a year ago i wrote the same question.HOW MUCH WATER DOES THE AVERAGE POND DROP IN A DAY? i had a lot of people including bob lusk write back and say it's very normal for a pond to drop 1" per day.on a hot day wind wind blowing that's very normal,i know.not sure about your weather conditions now,but i would think these are ok levels.my 4 1/2 acre pond drops about 1/4" a day now.

55°F day time highs
UV Index: 1 Minimal
Dew Point: 37°F
Humidity: 51%
Wind: From the South Southeast at 8 mph
That's been the average for the last week, last summer when temps hit the 90s the pond dropped maybe 1/2" per day.

haus,no expert here,just telling you what bob and others told me.i would not think with your temp's you would be losing alot of water right now.with that said,i'm still not sure you have a big problem.1" a day is not alot of water.since i last wrote i called 2 friends in south louisiana(temp avg.70)and 1 guy with 7 acre lake is droping 1/2" and other guy 1 1/2 acres is dropping1/4" a day.

haus,just talked to another friend with a 2 1/2 pond,he said his pond is dropping about 3/4" a day.let's see if other people can give info. on there lakes.

Haus and all:

Has your pond in Kansas ever been full? Here's why I ask: Several times over the years, we have seen new ponds fill up, then lose water. . . fill, lose water again, but with less water loss. The scenario repeats itself until the structure is doing a jolly good job of holding water.

Old-timers say this is common performance. As the soil materials "settle" or become more "seasoned," the clay forms a better bond with other native soil types.

That said, our trusted dirt specialist, Mike Otto, says any earthen dam will leak. Actually, he says, "They ALL do."

If you can live with a half-inch daily water loss — which seems a bit much for this time of year — then sleep well tonight.

If it's bugging you, wait for the dry season, pump out the water and plate the lake basin and the upstream side of your dam with another foot of clay, compacted and watered six inches at a time.

When you finish and refill, you might have solved your leak problem (emphasis on "might") — but you will definitely have lost your fish.

This may be of little solace, but now you see why I'm high on man-made liners. They're higher than a Georgia pine, but amortized over time, worth the worry-free years of sleep.

Hope this helps,
Mark McDonald
founding editor/co-owner
Pond Boss

Just curious on how much man-made liners are?

Thanks Mark,

I think you hit the nail on the head.

Hello there. we have a acre pond that is 13 ft deep,after our pond was full after filling it , it started to drop at the rate yours is. We bought a pallet of bennanight of granual size pellets and spread it . After spreading it and letting it swell we drug a chain all around the pond stirring it all around. It has never leaked again. We also have our pond full of trout and it is harmless to your fish. Good luck

chriswendy,
What kind of trout?
Do you know a source for the California Golden Trout? I read where Washington had some planted long ago.