jdv,
Have you walked around your pond a ways out to see if you see any type of seepage? If there is none then more than likely your water is going straight down and out? Does your water go down to a certain spot and then quit? In this type of weather you should not have that much water drop from evaporation or anything else. It's for sure a leak just a matter of where?
From what I have read new ponds do take time to settle and seal up how long you say? I don't really know that. Are you sure you hit good clay?
I have heard good and not so good of things out of Bentonite... some will say it works others will say it kinda worked...
so not sure what to tell you there.
If it was my pond I would stop pumping water to it and see exactly how far this water will drop if at all. That way you could at least know at what level around the pond to start looking for a leak. If it drains all the way down to just a puddle the your problem is in the bottom of your pond I would guess.... I too though am no expert in pond leakage or new ponds just trying to give you some ideas. Keep us posted as to what you find out!
RC
