Rebuck- i had my first pond built in 2008, it was 3/4 acre. i had not found pond boss at the time. the pond was built in a hollow. the dam was cored and all the dirt used for the dam came from the pond bottom. lots of red clay and some of the blue type you talked about. the guys only used a dozer and a track hoe. it had a small stream feeding it, but i never thought it would fill.finally we got some good rains and it filled and has stayed full ever since. we are in an extreme drought here now and last time i talked to the new owner he said it was only down a few inches. i saw it 4 inches low once!
most builders in this area do not compact the sides or bottom. maybe it's because there is lots of red clay in our area. also most pond in our area are not smooth bowls. builders leave humps, ridges, ditches, stumps, etc for structure, which would make it almost impossible to compact.
i am curious how much difference there is in compacted clay and virgin undisturbed clay. i have seen dirt that was almost impossible to break up with a pick in this area.
now on to pond #2. it is almost 2 acres and was built 2 years ago. it has a small stream feeding it, but is almost completely dry now. i didn't think it would ever fill so i used a trash pump and pumped from a larger stream that runs parallel to my pond dam. it filled and leaked instantly. there was standing water behind the dam. i used a different builder for this pond, he had excavators, dozers, a large rubber tire pan, off road dump trucks and regular dump trucks. we hit rock and not so good dirt along the way. i have treated it with soil floc with very good results. the wet area behind the dam dried up within days. we have had almost no rain in months so it was going down fast. i bit the bullet and installed an electric water pump. i had to run 655 ft of wire. the pump is 1.5 hp with 70 gallon per minute max. i can keep it full with ease now. i have it on a meter with my shop, i use about $4.50 in electricity running 24/7. once i got it full i only use it ever so often to keep it topped off. my dirt is so bad here that it looks damp up around the walking area around the pond due to it wicking its way out.
i don't know if this helps or hurts, but chances are you will be fine. just be patient or start pumping like i did.
sorry for all my rambling.
