For reference information. Most ponds in north mid-west are full dug ponds. When a good pond builder constructs a pond up here in Ohio, they over-dig the final finished pond size 8 ft wider than the planned finished pond size. This 8ft is the standard width of the blade width of a big bulldozer (often a D-8). They remove all this top layer down to 6ft deep where farm drain tile, root materials and loose poor dirt materials are located to make sure they dig down to a depth to find good clay. Then they continue removing the center belly clay of the pond and bring this clay material up to the outside 8 ft wide band around the pond top outer final size. This clay material is then spread in 4"-6" thick layers around the outside 8ft band where they compact the layer lifts with usually a sheepsfoot roller. When completed the pond has an 8 ft thick compacted good clay pond liner. These ponds when done properly rarely leak and hold water very well.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 09/06/24 06:56 PM.
