Thank you for the warm welcome and replies. Any and all help and info is greatly appreciated. The chert in the base of the pond and dam was not exposed until after a couple rain showers eroded just enough soil to see all these small pieces of flint. They did not heavily cover the area though, gathering all of them was more like an easy Easter egg hunt. Maybe got 500-800lbs stacked at the top of the spillway and that was about it for the rocks.
Contractor #1 had a very large excavator as needed to dig the key, but suggested contractor #2 to do the rest and actually coached him on what needed to be done. Contractor #1 basically said you don't want to pay me to do this (being the owner of the largest excavating company around here) when contractor #2 can do it for so much less. My project was probably just to small for him really.
Contractor #2 did build up the dam and constantly compacted, but not with a sheepsfoot roller. That has not proven to be a problem yet I don't believe though because the bowl shape of the pond bottom seldom fills up to the base of the dam before seeping into the ground, with exception of this 10' round hole that is about 4' deep which never goes dry. That one little area always holds water, even during the hot draught we had this summer.Why the bottom would leak everywhere else but not in that hole I have no idea.
Contractor #3 removed a lot of earth and commented how hard the soil was. Driving his large dozer through about a foot of water he didn't sink at all. There is a local guy that sells used billboard tarps that can be bonded together to make any size. He charges about half what I see them going for online but I would have to bond the together with the vinyl cement myself. Would this make sense? And recently I started reading about soil concrete for water retention. I'm just grasping at straws here and that's why I turning to the experts.
Thanks again, Kevin
