Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? 2 Year Old Pond Leaking/Draining/Seeping

Let me begin with, homework should always be done first and I was brand new to pond building.

I have a 3/4 acre pond that was dug about 2 years ago. (10-12 feet deep). Red clay and gray clay bottom. The bulldozer man said he packed at least 2 feet of red clay all the way around. I believe him. I will say I have seen some sand in a spot or two on the levee.

The pond filled up in about 2 days with a torrential flood we had. Within probably 2 months or so, all the water disappeared. I had hoped it would silt in and stop the leak/seep for lack of better thinking. This process will repeat itself throughout the summer with dry months and then a good 2 or 3 rains will mostly fill it back up.

All it takes is money, but what options are there to help stop this process? I am wondering about the Bentonite? I don't know if that's effective or more or less expensive than the liners??

Any help is much appreciated. I do have 2 kids that like to fish. I was thinking about putting bream of some type in there but can't start that until it will hold water.

Thanks for suggestions!

It sounds like it wasn�t cored.

Mine was also "packed with at least a foot of good clay all around", and improperly compacted by a bulldozer. With only 0.2 inches of rain since Feb 28, it has dropped almost 20 inches in 23 days by leaking at the dam-bowl junction. Clay liners by themselves are not at all effective if not compacted properly, and no amount of settling by themselves over a span of several years will help.

Thanks for the input. Keep it coming. My big question is what now?

Drain the pond and add a 2' clay liner to the entire bowl that is packed with a sheep's foot roller in 6" lifts, unless you can identify where all the leaks are with confidence. If the dam has any sand in the core, then a new core is needed as well. I know this is not what you want to hear, but throwing good money after bad is not wise. I feel your pain. I went through 4 contractors on my second pond (the last 2 to fix problems created by the first 2), but the resulting pond is as tight as a drum. I got lucky on my first pond that was built by a great pond guy, but he retired before the second pond went in. I built my 3rd pond myself. It is surprising how hard it is to find a pond digger that knows how to build a pond. I will say that some excavators that I have talked to struggle with the concepts while other think they can defy physics by exuding confidence. This makes for many frustrated pond owners. Maybe the Pond Boss owners/experts should start a nationwide certification process for pond builder that offers training with a test at the end (with a fee of course)? Then there would be a list to select from and perhaps a feedback system could be set up to be sure certified pond builders were walking the talk.

Will look into this more. Thanks for the honest truth.