Actually I will drain the pond...I have been researching this leak problem for some time now..this is what I have found out for those of you interested...
1) Soil type has a lot to do with it but my samples I sent in showed 4 different types of soil throughout the pond...each with differing amts of clay..the majority of the pond has 19% clay,24%silt,and 57% sand....the other samples have more clay in them..
the soil conservation service said that should be enough clay to hold..however I have been leaking water daily..
2)You see different recommendations on amounts of bentonite to put in the pond...a lot of that has to do with the quality of bentonite.not all bentonite is the same..you need to see what the local guy has and recommends depending on soil type...
3)It is best to dry the pond out, remove all structure, and make sure all the holes, crevaces etc have been filled in before putting he bentonite down...then disk or till it in 4-6 inches..
then compact the soil...
4)One test is to get a 5gallon bucket, drill holes in bottom, place a 3-4 inch layer of gravel in the bottom..then pack the soil your going to test in the bucket about a foot or so..then saturate the soil over a several day period...if water cont. to leak out then stop..let it partially dry out (top 4-6 inches) then add a pound of bentonite to the top 4-6 inches..mixing it well with the soil...add water to the top of that..see how long it takes it to leak out...keep adding till you get it to where it doesnt leak..then some sources say add 25% to 50% more to that total to allow for depth and head pressure from the water..
which makes sense...if your going to all this trouble and expense it would be worth the extra insurance...
5)Never fully trust a dozer operator as an expert..get soil samples and do some basic tests before filling a pond..it is much easier to fix it from the start then to drain, remove all stucture, and re-do it...lessons that I have learned ..thanks for everyones intput...I appreciate this web site..it has been more than helpful...
