Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations New here and Leaky Pond Question

Hi All,
Looks like a great site, wish I would have found it years ago. I hope someone can lead me in the right direction.
I have a small pond in my back yard here in southern Louisiana.
It's about 65' by 110' and was dug about 4.5 years ago. I stocked the pond and the fish are doing ok. What was dug out looked like some thick clay. What is not doing well is the pond is leaking and it seems to be getting worse all the time. The pond always did leak a little, started out about an inch a day, now it's up to over 4 inches a day and increasing quickly. My well pump can barely keep up. The water I am putting in the pond is not that great as it has some salt in it. Where I am you just dig a hole and for the most part it will hold water. We have had alot of rain this year and I am wondering if the rain caused the ground water to actually back up into the pond and wash some clay out and expose the bottom to a sandy layer. Does bentonite clay sound like it will work for my leak?

Is leaking at dam or soaking into the ground?

It's leaking into the ground. For the most part we are on pretty flat land so no need for a damn in my immediate area. Basically a guy dug a hole for me for free and he kept the dirt. There is a ditch located about 45 foot on the back side of my pond, it does seem to hold water from my house down when it's dry. I suspect there may be some seepage towards the drainage ditch. My overflow pipe is routed to the same drainage ditch. I also notice there is a marshy area located on the back side of my pond, most areas are real firm clay feeling but that one marshy area. I did plant some cypress and willow trees next to the pond. I think the willows are a big mistake as I suspect as they get larger they will pull a bunch of water from the pond. I think the cypress will be ok?

Welcome. You came to the right place. I'm no expert but I have tried bentonite using sprinkle methode. It did not work for me. I would guess draining and working bentonite in pond bottom. I ended just having good clay hauled in and lining pond with it. Atleast 18" in 6" lifts compacted well.

Thanks,
Sounds like you had a pretty big job on your hands and it worked out for you. Doesn't should like it was cheap either.
The issue here with attempting to drain a pond is they will always get some water back in them due to the high water table. When the pond was dug the water started to fill the pond as it was dug. It didn't fill up but the deeper hold did fill up along with about 2 foot of water in the more shallow sections. I could let it get real low but it's not going to empty so not sure how well any work could be done on the bottom. Not sure how to get the fish out either, I wonder if shocking them would work. I know there are some large cats in there and that might even be causing my problems, I know they bore holes in the bottom.

This sounds like a tricky one. Experts we need some chiming.

Did some reading on the forum and now wonder if I have a porous vain somewhere on the sides. I have noticed that when I did a hole for a tree I find a slightly sandy grey/blue looking layer of soil down there. Mostly I find a brown clay with the exception of that grey blue soil.

Can anybody help this guy with his question?

Don, a groundwater pond is always going to seek the level of the water table around it. Evidently, you have a void somewhere underground. Or, obviously a leak leading to a deeper water source. But, since you live there, you know a lot more about this stuff than I do.

I know of no way to identify the leak without draining. And, generally, draining a groundwater pond can be a character builder. You leak might be on the side or the bottom. If you turn off the pump, you're going to find it.

Don, you thoughts might very well be correct. Unfortunately, nobody that I know of has had any good long term success with Bentonite. If it's incorporated into the soil while the pond is dug, and then compacted, then the results are much better.

I have a ground water pond, in sand, and I'm afraid that I will have to drop a large well this year just to keep the pond full.

The willows do suck up a lot of water, but I haven't been able to find a reliable figure on how much per inch of tree trunk diameter. I haven't seen any comments on cypress.

Salt is used to help keep fish healthy during transportation, and a little is a good thing. What is the salt content of your well water?

I wish I could be of more help.

If you have a little salt in your pond that opens up a lot of options for you in stocking out of the box fish in your pond. You could look at many of the coastal fish around your area to stock also. Many do very good in fresh water with a small amount of salt in it.
IE, jack crevalle, Flounder , Redfish , Mangrove snapper,. If you are near the coast and do not get too cold these could viable options to plant into you pond as a bonus fish.

Not sure of the exact salt content. I was told by the guy that dug my well that the well water where I am does have some salt in it and that it's not that good for drinking. My well is about 180 feet deep, the deeper you go here the saltier the water is what I was told.
I started out with an old Baker/Heller windmill to keep my pond full but with the leaker and lack of a good wind when you need it most, I ended up pulling the pipe out and dropping in an electric well pump. The windmill still stands with a hand pump still in place. I set up the electric well pump to pump through the hand pump into the pond. For a while here I had the only functioning windmill in the parish(county). I know of one other guy that was working on setting up a windmill in the area.
Do you know what method is used to determine salt content of the water?

I did think about Redfish but they are so agressive, much like bass I didn't want that much competition with my bass. I didn't even consider flounder. We get cool but should not see ice on my pond unless we have one of those rare real cold snaps. It has happened on occasion where the marshes ice up and then a fish kill follows.

When the pond was dug and water filled it, did you notice where the water was coming from? Sometimes you will see trickles or flows coming in from the edges before it reaches to that height and covers it. Problem might be in that area.

Measuring salinity:

http://westernfarmpress.com/irrigation/measuring-salinity-irrigation-water

Also, if you go to ebay and search for "salinity tester" it will come up with (at this time) 83 active listings. I don't know which one is best.