Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Putting a well on a leaking pond?

When I built my house in 2009/2010. I dug a pond on my yard and used the dirt to build the property up. I figured it would be a win/win situation. I could save some money on buying dirt and have a small pond. It's a little smaller than a 1/4 of an acre. Not very big at all. When he dug it. The center of it, an area about 50x50 in the center was dug down to pure white sand and water was shooting up behind the bucket as he dug. I thought thats great. He dug down to a spring and I wont have to worry about that thing going dry. WRONG! Now it runs with the water table. When we have alot of rain it goes up. When we dont I goes down. It has fluctuated seasonal from about 2 foot from the top to right now about 6-7 foot from the top. So, it has drastic changes in water hieght depending on rain and the level of the water table. I have done some research now that I have a problem. I see most people end up spending alot of money having them drained and then, clay packed into the bottom. Seems like that is only sucsessful sometimes and they give up after spending tons of cash. I have read you can spread bentoite over the surface and sometimes tht works. Basically I have read about all these was to fix leaking ponds and it also seems that the sucsess rate is around 50%. I was wondering if I could just put a shallow well on it and let it run and if that would keep it full? Other wise I am think of just having it filled in. Any advice would be great. Thanks.

Wow. There are a lot of issues here. Ponds can be expensive to build, but less so once established. If you really want a pond, there are ways to git er done.

You might drain it and try a liner. That should work for your size pond with reasonable average rainfall. A well may not be needed.

I am sure other Pond Boss folk will weigh in with their thoughts.

Good luck.

My thought is the sand layer may permeate water out far faster than well can put it back in, based on water gushing up behind the bucket.

The best recourse is to put in a rubber liner, which for a smaller pond is probably the most likely to succeed at lowest frustration level. It may or may not be more expensive than putting in clay, but a liner is almost guaranteed to work.

To give a little more background info.........At one point the pond was full but, we have been in a drought for over a year now. Most of the area ponds are low right now.

To give a clearer description. There were 3 areas that water came up behind the bucket as it dug. Dropping about 4 well points and throwing a 1/2 HP shallow well jet pump on it is my cheapest option. These shallow well points will be pulling water out of the same water table that the pond resides in. I worry that it will only be pulling water out of the pond and putting it right back in. Does anyone know if that will keep it full once the rains fill it up or will a deep well be required to maintain a full level? Thanks

Randy:

Pulling water from the same water table that the pond is sitting in will work, and it will keep the pond full. The only caveat is that you have to be pumping in more water than is leaking out.

My pond is like that - dug into sandy soil, and is a groundwater pond. It can drop about 1" a day if the farmers in the area start irrigating with their center pivots.

I have a well that is roughly 150' away from the pond, and the screen is 66' below the ground level. It pumps 25 gpm, and it is enough to keep the pond level from dropping, but not enough to fill it back up during the summer if I run it 24/7.

How big of a well will you need? I have no idea.....

As you have figured out, sand indicates an aquifer and will never "hold" water. The pond builder should have known this. Since it is in the bottom you will always be at the mercy of the water table.

I believe I would try to seal it with about 2 ft. of well packed clay.