I think adequate moisture is very important in compacting clay, especially without a roller. When my original pond was renovated, the clay for the new part of the dam had been stockpiled and was too dry to compact properly. I think it should hold now that it was thoroughly wetted by the pond being filled, and since has dried out and settled since the pond is now three feet low, and doesn't leak at the current stage. The former soft spots are now hard. When my minnow pond was built late last fall, the soil was wetter, and it doesn't leak at all. The new pond, if built, will have a minimal dam, and will be mostly dug out. The location is a current bowl shaped low spot in the hay field, where water will stand for a couple of days after a hard rain. The topsoil is about 18 inches deep down to clay, determined from hand dug test holes. We will probe around more with a backhoe before deciding whether to proceed.
