At a recent wedding reception I got to talking with an uncle with a 3/4 acre farm pond.I told him about this site but he is frightened of computers and it may be too late anyway.
He had a excavator dig out a shallow vally and build a small berm with the thick band of clay they discovered. He used the same clay to line the pond in lifts to about a foot and a half.
The problem is that he could not locate a sheepsfoot roller or could not afford or somthing.
So they used just the weight of the bulldozer for the clay. Now his pond leaks as fast as he can pump 30 gallons a min. into it from a well.
Is there any chance the pond will seal up over time?
I guess he is willing to run the pump for an extended period.
Should he wait and see what happens or drain and compact the correct way?