I built my pond back in December and it seems to leak about an inch per day. Do ponds take a while to seal? The ground seemed to have a decent amount of clay when we were digging so we didn't add any betonite.

Someone from another board contacted me and said I could have up to 80 tons of bentonite for free if I picked it up. The freight is not a problem because we have a family trucking company and it is only a couple hours away. I don't want to drain the pond now because our spawn is just around the corner. I am thinking of waiting until the spawn is over then letting the pond drain down a few feet and at this time make an attempt at sealing the sides. There is a lot of cover on the bottom so I am not sure how well broadcasting the betonite on the surface will help. Any thoughts?