Pond Boss Forums INTRO New Forum Member Introduction Where have you been ?

I am so glad to have found this site. I am amazed at the amount of uselful information I've found here. All of my questions are being answered.....well, most of them. I'm sure I will need some guidnace.

I have a leaky 1 acre pond that is fed by runoff and it's been a very dry summer here in Louisville. I now have 2 wells feeding the pond but am still suffering from the dreaded seepage.

I have twice had a "specialist" in to drill and grout my dam, 2 years ago and 3 years ago and now it has again begun leaking.

I know the general area of the leak and am on the verge of doing a bentonite application. Sice it's down to about as low as it can go, I believe the leakage is close to the current waterline. I hope to apply the clay and it will coat and seal the surface.

Using 50# bags of bentonite, what is the best way to apply the product? any spreader ideas or just dump, sitr and dump somemore?

I'll be reading much in the next few days.

THANKS for the input.

buzz

Buzzworth, we are glad you found the site as well. Welcome!

For bentonite to seal properly it should be mixed well into the top foot of soil and then properly compacted. Simply pouring it in is described, but I have yet to hear of a single pond it worked on that way. ANY clay should be compacted to seal.

While the way Rainman describes is the best way I have seen what you are suggesting work. See this this thread :

Here are a number of links to prior discussions on bentonite and methods to stop pond leaks. Several note the use of drilling mud in various methods. See the first link for our successful use of drilling mud.

http://www.pondboss.com/forums/ubbthread...h=true#Post3936

thanks for welcome. I am going to have to attempt the "hit and hope" method at this time. The water level is down and I can get to much of the dam wall. I will tamp that in, but with many fish living it out in shallow water, I'm not going to drain it any further unless the bottom falls out.
If this doesn't work, then I'll probably have to pump it all out next spring and the fish will suffer the consequences. Pond is probably 45-50 years old and has had leakage for at least the last 20.
After having the dam drilled and filled a few years ago, it held well and we stocked it with bass, bluegill, hybrid bluegill, shellcrackers, and catfish. So, with 3 years of growth the fish are healthy and big. I hate to think of losing them all. The grasscarp all floated to the surface about a month ago and I have since kept an aerator running 24/7.
Thanks again.....i'll be around for some time, as I hope the population of the pond is.

buzz

You said you suspect you know where the leak is. Where is it?

near one corner of the dam. There is a rock outcropping there and there is water below the dam in that vicinity.
I spoke to the former owner of the land this week and he also said that;s where they thought it was because when the pond was built, this rock formation went too deep to excavate.
When I had the dam drilled and filled, this was also the area that was done. Like I said earlier, the pond has held for a time, then started leaking again. I suspect that the water just worked around until it found another way out of the limestone base.
IF (and it's a big if) I can stop the leak on the pond side, I think I might have better control of it.
I spoke to my local Southern States supply store this morning and they have 130+ bags in stock. I'll probably go tomorrow and load up about 50 bags and start in that corner and work my way along the dam above and below water level.
Weather reports for the week look good and there is a possibility of rain later in the week from the storm blowing into south Texas. We are very dry here and it might be the best time for me to get to work.
There is also a major infestation of duckweed on the pond (total cover)and that also may have contributed to the grasscarp kill. I'll work on the leak and address the duckweed after I get some more water. In the meantime, I'll keep the aerator going fulltime.
buzz

Porous rock such as you describe should be broken up and removed, then cover the area with well compacted clay. You don't need to go very deep with the removal, but unfortunately, any other method of sealing will probably be very temporary at best.

Can you build a berm or put your bentonite/soil mixture between your water and the rock?

Pictures are always great and could help us offer more and better suggestions also.

Thank you, Rainman.
I took some current pictures today and will sort through them and post under "Renovating lake or pond" so I don't tie up the welcome wagon.

I see what you mean by having them removed, but I would need to do it soon while the water is still low, but not let the water level be disturbed. They look pretty daunting.

Watch.....now it will start raining and not stop. :-)

buzz