Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help New pond,leaking dam

I just spent a bundle on a 1/2 acre pond 14' deep and now the dam is leaking. I think I know where the leak is as it was leaking in this place when the water was only 2' high. The contractor told me the leak was ground water,but I had a hunch it was coming from under the earth dam. I do not think he dug the keyway out properly. Water is coming out about as fast as a house spigot turned on 1/2 way going through a garden hose. The contractor also told me it would seal it self after the oozing clay reached that end of the pond,but I am not holding my breath.
If I drain the pond down to 2' deep and dump some bags of bentonite clay in the area I suspect is leaking do you think that will seal it ?

TT, Welcome to the forum. I'm no expert but i am by all means cheap! If it was me i would do what ever it takes to keep from paying someone else money for something i'm capable of doing myself. Give it a try, if it does not work than you know need to try something else.

I don't think running water should be your problem. The contractor would have found a spring and groundwater doesn't run like a hose. I expect it is leaking due to construction. I doubt that it will seal itself at that rate.

How long has it been since the guy built it? If its a reasonable amount of time try to get the guy to fix the problem. It sound like you already pointed it out to him, so its not like your blindsiding the guy with a problem he was not previously aware of.

When digging the pond he hit a rock ledge that runs the length of the pond and says it is running underneath the rock. I don't buy that explanation.It seems like he does not want to deal with it. I guess I need to get some red dye first and find out where the leak really is before I point fingers. That means I'll have to drain the pond down to 2 ft to get close to the drain pipe, but at least I will be able to see where the dye is going.