We are in the process of getting a water well and building a few small forage ponds. We don't get good clay until +-14 feet, and we don't want or need any forage ponds that deep.
We were hoping to use drilling mud to seal the shallower forage ponds (if practical). I found three threads (plus a few posts in others) discussing the use of drilling mud in ponds.
http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...=true#Post51484http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...true#Post147322http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...=true#Post80174As usual, George, ewest, and a host of others give great advice. What I gather so far is:
1. Clean drilling mud could be used to seal a pond.
2. Drilling mud can be water based or oil based, and it might have additives.
3. Plain drilling mud is bentonite.
4. To be safe, a chemical analysis is in order before using drilling mud for ponds.
5. And this gem from Svoberts: "Most drilling mud is a mix of bentonite, water, caustic soda (low amounts) and some other things to make it slippery and increase weight. We ( I work for an oilfield service company with a mud division) researched "soil farming" which is basically spreading this stuff out and then tilling it into the soil. I would not use "used" mud, since it is often slightly contaminated and alkaline. Not bad enough for a large field, but too much for a pond. But the basic ingredient of bentonite from a drilling source MIGHT be about the same as the pond stuff. I would research heavily, though."
Obviously, using the drilling mud would be our cheapest option. Buying liners is another option. Buying bentonite is a third.
Any other thoughts or ideas?
