The home we purchased almost a year ago has about a 1/2 acre pond in the back that was installed about 30 years ago. When we took over the pond was mostly drained except for about 4' in the deepest section of the pond, which I figure is 9'-10' deep when full. It has an existing synthetic liner in it that is damaged due to vegetation and tree growth, UV exposure, etc. The pond water surface area is about 19,300 SF. There is a small island in the pond, the SF accounts for that.
Before winter I turned the well pump on to fill the pond up a bit to see if it would hold water or not. I filled it to the top of the fill pipe and then waited. Over the course of 10 days I figured I was losing about 1" per day. After doing some research on the USDA soils report website, I found that this area has silty loam with a 19.4% clay rating. I have been looking into my options to try and fix this up and was originally thinking to do a clay liner, but that sounds like it will be much more expensive than I originally expected. I've since been doing some research on the Soilfloc, sodium bentonite, or replacement synthetic liner. I was hoping this would be a project I could tackle myself over time to help save costs, and I'm pretty capable.
Soilfloc: I've heard mixed results with the Soilfloc, and after reading some of the comments it sounds like this clear gel just sits on the bottom of the pond? Would this even be a realistic repair approach to my pond since I'm guessing I don't just have a few small leaks, given the type of soil I have. Also, it sounds like it would have to remove the liner that is currently in the pond?
Sodium bentonite: Does anyone have any input on if this is a viable option to till into the existing soil to create a seal? I believe I was reading around 4 pounds per SF, give or take, would be required.
I've been trying to avoid a synthetic liner, as I'm worried this would get ripped (dog, animals, kids, sticks), but it seems this would be the give me the most guarantee of holding water, initially anyway.
Please let me know your thoughts on the best approach and experiences with any of the above. Thanks for your input!
That would be a good assumption. As water depth increases so does the hydrostatic pressure, weight of water pushing down due to gravity. This increase in pressure would cause your rate of loss to also increase as the water is being "pushed" through the leak at a higher rate. Have you investigated AquaBlok? It is a less complex approach to a clay (bentonite) liner that is self-compacting, so there is no need for compaction or amending soils. It is also manufactured in NW Ohio and only a stone's throw from you. I am a rep for AquaBlok, as we are a PB sponsor, and would be more than happy to help. I am here in the Buckeye State and have some OH contacts that would be able to help find a solution to your leaky pond no matter what avenue you choose to go with (Liner, Clay, or Polymer).
