Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Soil questions New pond clay and black dirt?

I have recently built a new pond. It is 200' by 200' odd shaped and will average about 12-14' in depth. I have what I think is very good soil over the majority of the pond. Tan color clay. I have about 4.5 feet of water, in about two week with the help of some good rains. The first two feet deep is black dirt after that I get a tan color soil. This is holding water very well but I am worried about a section of the pond were the black dirt line dips down to about 5'. When the water line reaches the black dirt is likely to stop riseing and soak into the softer black soil?

what is the best way to test that at home?

Robinson has this strange sense of humor.

I agree with him that its the clay content that counts, not the color of the dirt....but I would be worried if I were you.

Make a ball in your hand out of the black dirt..does it hold together or fall apart?

when it is very wet it will ball up and becomes fairly tacky. It doesn't hold togeather as well as the tan stuff. When it is dry it makes larg crack in the ground.

For the soil to crack, it has to at least a modest amount of clay in it. When dry clay contracts much more than "black dirt" and causes the cracks.

MN Fisherman,

Okay, here is another test, somewhat more difficult. Get a couple of 5 gallon buckets, or identical containers, place the same amount of holes in the bottom of each, then place the same amount, depth, of tan color soil in one container and black color soil in the other. I think I would use about 12 inches of material in both. Fill both containers with water...wait and see what happens over a 24 hour period, longer if necessary. That way you can compare the "leakability" of both soils side by side.

That sounds easy enuff. Thanks for the ideas.