Hello everyone, I am new here and am in the process of constructing a small pond (approx. 110' long X 85' wide at about 8 feet deepest point, averaging 6 feet overall) I have been reading alot about sealing the pond (liners, bentonite etc.) and have decided to go the bentonite route. Does anyone know what is truly the proper method for applying the bentonite? I have read that you simply agitate the top 1" or 2" with a tiller and then spread 1 pound per square foot of bentonite over the top. Does this seem right? Thanks in advance for your help.

Welcome to the forum, wiredit. (Trying to figure out how to pronounce that mentailly when I read it. Wire-dit? Wi-red-it? Wire-edit?)

You are sure your soil conditions will require some kind of sealing?

IIRC, according to "Perfect Pond: Want One?" "Perfect Pond: Want One?" you should mix the bentonite into the top (6"-8") of soil. So I would spread the bentonite before tilling, and try to go deeper.

I would be sure and use enough bentonite, or be sure of whatever sealing method I went with. Doing it right the first time is gonna be lots cheaper than having to drain, dry, and redo it.

Thanks Theo and it is pronounced Wired it. I am an electrical contractor here in CA and i've pretty much wired everything so hence the name "wired it". So anyway you think I should go deeper, which makes sense, and then should I compact it after tilling the bentonite in or should I just fill it up. Thanks again

The book says compact. Buy the book.

Wow really? That is disappointing because I have done lots or reading and was just looking for someone's opinion. Whenever you have a question on something or want someone's opinion, do you make sure you have "bought the book" first. As I said earlier I am an electrical contractor, and I frequent an electrical forum. Whenever anyone has a question that I can help them with, I certainly will because god knows in this day and age with gas prices, groceries, etc that we can all stand to save a buck or two. So if anyone else would like to chime in with their opinion on my original question, I would certainly appreciate it.

wiredit, if we can get you some experienced bentonite users, that would be much more useful than I am. My property has so much clay, we have standing water in the fields during our droughts.

[OTOH, I have 2 degrees in Electrical Engineering and have been wiring houses since I was 16. I'll be happy to give you my opinion on wiring - not that you need it - but I bet you still use the National Electrical Code book for work.]

Okay, anybody here done an entire pond bottom with bentonite, besides the two guys who wrote the book?

I remember Mike Otto wrote a real good article on the use of Bentonite in one of the mag issues. It was about a year ago.

wiredit, i've used imported clay to seal my pond. granted it wasnt bentonite, and i didnt get enough so i still have some leakage, but my 2c: till it in good, and compact, compact, compact....

IIRC, in general, you strive for 30 to 50% clay in the pond bed soil and want a depth of at least 2 feet. compaction is critical....always.......and with bentonite as the clay you might get away with less thickness, but dont risk it, do it right.

its difficult to advise on the exact pound/sq ft becuase we dont know what yer original soil type is. if its already a clay type soil, you wont need as much, and if its a sandy or silty based soil yo'll obviously want to use more....check out some earlier PB issues that discuss bentonite (someone will have to help tell which ones), and getting the book is a great idea. good luck and i welcome another californian to pondboss,

Thanks fellas and Theo I will apologize for my earlier post. I felt like you might be reprimanding me for not buying the book yet which I totally plan on doing. I may have taken your post wrong and if I did I apologize, I was just trying to feel the water and see if anyone had any prior experience in applying the bentonite. In retrospect, I see that it would be hard for someone to tell me lbs/sq ft without knowing my soil conditions.

Thanks again.

Don't let Theo off that lightly. He is a rogue and deserves a thorough thrashing. He has been bullying me ever since I started posting here, yet strangely I keep returning.

wiredit:
No problemo. (Sunil? Translation.)

I replied too abruptly. A very wise guy wise man once told me that it's easy for all of us to misconstrue things in text only format. I mean, we didn't even use any emoticons.


Brettski:
Sit down and shut up. :P

OK

Wiredit:
Just my 2 cents on the bentonite discussion. 2 to 4lbs per square foot is my experience. Also you want the soil to have a uniform amount of bentonite and then have it tilled or disced in as others have said.
Otto

This "wise guy" says buy the book. It's worth every penny, and you'll be supporting this forum in doing so. With that said, this forum, in my opinion, is the single best source of quality, practically instant, advice on pond management you'll ever find. If you support the mag and buy the books, you ensure that this amazing forum survives and THRIVES.

Welcome aboard WIRED IT! Don't make yourself a stranger.