Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Soil questions New pond questions....need opinions

A couple or several ways to proceed. If you are confident the current bottom compaction was adequate then fill and watch the water level. Well compacted clay basins hold water right away with very little water absorption upon filling. Loss of water in well sealed ponds will be minimal during fall winter when evaporation is minimal. If you question the compaction of the bottom trench where the rocks were then re-compact that area with a double barrel sheepsfoot roller or a vibratory sheepsfoot compactor. For reference a well sealed clay bottom pond will loose only around 1 ft of water during a 6 to 10 week drought; air temps 80's to 90F. During mid-summer in hot dry weather and no rain there can be 1/2" to 3/4" of evaporation per day depending on conditions. Loss of more water than that per day indicates the degree of leakage.