Theo , Leaky & scsims :

I will try to get this right. Theo I did see the reference to barite . That is why I used your post reference. Thanks for the info. I think you are right about it being in that post because of livestock {the website references it as part of the goat research extension}. I don't think that matters though it will flat stop leaks.

Barite and bentonite are both used in oil well drilling mud . The mud is used to stop the water based drilling fluid from going into the formations drilled through ,to lub the hole and return drill cuttings to the surface and to hold back the pressures encountered. All of this happens under pressures from 50psi to 25000psi.

Drilling mud comes dry in sacks and is mixed on location into mud pumps. If the job requires greater mud weight or more leak stopping ability barite is added.

I am not a chemist or drilling endg. so I don't know about its fert. ability. I know barite is a sulfate BaSO4 so no nit. or phos. as in most fert.

I once had a pond that leaked badly because of sands in the bottom at the dam. My dad, a geologist got a few bags of drilling mud and barite . We mixed the two with water to form a thick mud liquid { like thick milk} . Then we took a length of 6in pvc pipe with a one way valve {outflow only}. Put the pipe in the water with the valve end near the bottom where it met the dam. Then poured the mud in the pipe. Moved around to several places along the dam and repeated. In about 2 weeks no more leaks. Has not leaked in 20+ years and no apparent effects on the pond ecosystem.

Will this work for Leaky and scsims. I don't know but there are lots of pond dam specialists who could tell us. I note that the ad in Pondboss for a company that stops leaks has a picture of its equipment and it looks a lot like a mud pump system. This post is way to long but I hope it helps. I would hate for anyone to jump off their dam. ewest