Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Building a dam New pond seepage. Is this normal?

Hi, I just got this pond built 2 months ago and now im noticing some seepage out the center back of dam. The water is about 6 foot deep in pond so far. It is not running out the back, just small pockets of water on top of ground. It is doing this in two spots. The water level in pond is looing an inch per week. Will this fix itself. I paid to have keyway put in and watched him do most of work.

I don't think so (being normal). I'd call the builder and have him visit - ask him the same question.

One inch per week on a new pond isn't a big deal. The water wicks back into the drier banks and will for a long time. The rocks I see are more conducive to wicking in those areas.

Water coming out of the back of a dam is never desirable or normal.

Thanks guys. Just had me a little worried. We are in a drought in mid Missouri. I need rain!

I called dirt guy and he said it is normal for a new pond to do this and not be concerned. He told me to dump a bunch of dry wall peices in pond and it will quit leaking faster. I chose not to do that. Dumped 500lbs of benonite around leak area. Still seems to be seeping 4 days later. Water loss is very minimal. I just don't like having spent all that money and having muddy spot on back of dam. . It only has 6 foot of water in it. I wonder what will happen when it fills to twelve. Will the extra water pressure help it seal it up or make it leak more. Thanks.

I've never heard water seeping out the back of a dam is "normal"

Unless the definition of what a dam does has changed

Dry wall? Another new one... though I thought softener salts wouldn't work either until I read up on it.

I had Mike Otto come to my property to do an evaluation of my pond (15-20 years old). I was particularly interested in his opinion of my larger dam. I have some minor seepage along its bottom along the backside. He said, "All ponds leak."

Thanks again guys. Guess I'm just getting a little impatient waiting for it to fill while seeing this water on back of dam.

I agree with Mike Otto, but it's the amount of leakage that is in question. I'd take a large pan, fill it to the brim with water, and monitor evaporation rates at the pond. Put a fence post with a yardstick in the pond at the water level so you can accurately measure the amount of water rise or fall - you can't do it accurately by looking at the shore line.

If it gets to be a lot more than evaporation, then you'll have concrete numbers to talk to the pond builder about.

If it were me, I'd call him out for a visit and demand a solution before it goes much longer. In my experience it becomes exponentially more difficult to encourage a contractor to step up and claim responsibility as time since construction passes.

Dirt guy says give it six months i set up yard stick and I've lost 4 inches in 4 days. I can see running water now in Two spots and very wet spont in 3 more. He says it will seal itself. It's about 1/10 acre and 51/2 foot right now. It looks like there is a spring about 2 inches wide at bottom of damn. It will be about 1/2 acre when fool. I'm worried once it fills to 12 feet it going to be a creek running out back. Will a pond really seal itself. Its been about 2/12 months now. I'm getting worried. I paid extra $1500 for key way so this would not happen.

I would get it fixed now. If he water leaking out the back is from the pond, then the key did not seal. If he will not fix it, tehn document the problem and get someone else to fix it. You then may have a chance, but not a guarentee, that you could recover your extra cost in court. Be sure you ask him to fix the problem in writing and give him a chance to fix it. If he does not, let him know in writing that you are going to have the defect fixed by someone else. It is best if he steps up, but if not, you still need the problem fixed.

I'm with RAH. If you get a really, really heavy rain, the pond fills, the leak gets worse, and the dam blows out. Is he going to absorb all the costs involved in fixing it then?

I have never heard of a leak sealing itself. Nor have I heard of a couple of pieces of drywall sealing a pond. But then, maybe I haven't heard of everything.

If it does blow out, you have several concerns.

1. What and/or who is downstream?

2. Where will you get soil to replace it?

I'm gonna call dirt guy after work for solution. I think we he should just have to take inside dirt away till he hits key and repack with some better clay or does the whole dam need redone. It sucks I got $500 in grass planted around dam not to mention all that time watering during drought. Got another $130 in fingerlings in pond. Guess I jumped the gun on stocking it. I can always drop the water level and saine those fish out and put in my uncles pond.

Well it looks like we are draining pond. Dirt guy is coming back in few weeks to fix. Now to seine all the fish out. He wants to work bentonite into Clay already there. Hope this fixes the problem. I no longer need rain so the drought is prob about over.

It's good you pursued aggressively to seek a solution and not allow it to drag out. I'm no contractor, but sounds like quite a leak and might suggest a more fundamental problem - like a poorly designed core trench. Would Bentonite address such an basic engineering flaw? I don't know...identifying and repairing leaks are far from an exact science as Otto and other professionals have documented time and time again.

Thank goodness he's at least willing to come out and do something...his attitude of wait around it will fix itself was troubling - sounded like he was trying to buy time and hope you'd lose your interest in chasing him.

It's worth telling him you've got to pay for reseeding yet another time - and in Summer it's much more difficult process leading to erosion concerns, etc. He may offer to help reimburse for the costs - it's worth asking. I know I sure would.

Dirt guy says give it half a summer and if still leaking we will drain. He said he has many ponds around here seal themselves.

Don't add any more fish!

What's the name of said "Dirt Guy"? I'm in Missouri and want to stay away from him if I ever decide to dig a pond. It's starting to be my opinion that it's about a 1/10 chance of finding a good knowledgeable excavator.

It seems strange that dirt guy wanted an extra $1500 to put in a keyway. If that is extra he must be building ponds without them which doesn't seem quite professional. How did you find this guy and what kind of references did he have?

People at work Said he was best around.