Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Selecting a site New pond in western NY (update 1/19/2011)

I just had a new 1/2 acre pond put in. I hit no springs and since it went in 2 weeks ago no rain. The soil is extremely clay so when we got rain here last night I couldn't wait to see how much was in the pond. This morning it looked like a decent about bout then 3hr later it went down a foot. Now the clay and soil was exteremly dry. Is this common when the first water hits the pond? Does the soil need to get saturated first? Just getting a little nervous...thanks

Daryle, we're sure glad you found us!!!

You'll find the truest wrds said here are, "It all depends". The water being soaked up quickly could indeed be normal, but it depends.

What was the water content of your clay when the pond was built? Was your dam cored? It is rare that a pond basin can simply be excavated and hold water. If your clay was too dry or too wet when building the dam, compaction/sealing is simply not possible.

Can you give us more information on the soil conditions and what all was done to construct your pond? There are many good dirt movers in this nation, but that does not mean they can build a pond. Ponds take very specific conditions and methods to be sealed and become productive bodies of water.

Hello Daryle and welcome to Pond Boss. I'll leave the answering for the experts. Thanks for joining up and posting.

Welcome Daryle. Rex (Rainman) is asking some very pertinent questions.

Thanks for the response. It had been extremely dry here so the clay was extremely dry. All that was done is two bulldozer came and "hollowed out the area" and built the dam. The water that I am refering to has not even reached the dam part yet, it is just sitting at the bottom of the bowl. It rained again yesterday and the water did stay in a lot longer, but when I woke up this morning it was gone. The only compacting I believe that would of been done is the bulldozer driving on it. It is extremely clay where I am and even it some of that blue clay..many ponds right by me, almost every neighbor. I'm a little more nervous from your repsonse as to me that is what was done "It is rare that a pond basin can simply be excavated and hold water". thanks in advance for your help

Daryle where in WNY are you located? I am part of a hunting camp in the Clymer area and I live 42 miles south more or less in PA. Unless you have gravel ground it wouldn't be all that rare to dig a pond and have it hold water in this part of the country, soil conditions can vary widely though. The water table is very low at the present time, dog days for sure, and our recent rains have done little to boost my pond level either. I would say you will need more rain to know what is going on, and that time of year is surely coming. Best wait and see, if you have clay like I am familiar with around these parts, it will seal.

JoeG, thanks for the response I'm about 15 minutes north of Olean, ny which isn't too far from the Penn border. It is not gravel ground, pure clay. Where the water WAS I see a smooth thick base. It is still wet..just not water on top. I'm sure in spring I will know more as we get tons of snow here

It should fill by spring for sure. I'm familiar with the type of ground you speak of.

Joe..thanks for talking with me about...feel a little better.

Daryle no sweat, for the record, Rainman is mostly right, it does take some special consideration in marginal soils to seal, but you have the exact materials we have around here, looking at that photo I can feel that soil under my feet and smell it in my nostrils, unless it was used to cover a bunch of shale or bedrock it will seal up.

I dug some hole yesterday for the dock and did hit some shale, but9/10 clay and alot of blue clay, it was dry..like cement. The shale seemed to be close to the surface and when I got deeper it was all clay, so I will keep my fingers crossed and hope for a lot of snow to fill it up and hope it will stay filled. Glad I found this site as now I realize that the soil will take some time to get saturated. The holes I dug yesterday, 3 ft down, have no water in them this morning, now thats dry! Thanks again everybody for your help, and I'm sure I will need alot more when I start stocking and stuff

Okay I think I am in trouble here. We have had some snow and it melted and the pond filled about half way and then drained about a day or two later. Not all the way but seems to hold at the deep end about at 2 ft. I did find a under ground stream, about a one inch hole that was about 1 ft under ground. I trenched it and have it running to the pond. Not much but when it rains it gushes. My question here is how long should I wait before I bring in reinforcements. I have a lot of clay around so I was thinking maybe have someone line it with clay and compact. When it was put in it was extremely dry and no compaction was done except by dozer. Some local people are telling me to wait two years. Don't want to wait that long if it is not gonna help. They old saying "wish I knew then what I knew now" It was dug end of August and it was slowly holding more and more but I mean slowly. Where it fills and drains I do get a mushy clay bottom. Any advice would be appreciated

Lining the pond with clay and working it in/compacting should be the answer. Wicking can occur on new ponds but generally does not fit what you described.