Curious on How to determine if a pond is leaking wicking in or evaporating? Finished in mid August lost about 5” in last 18 days central Ky. It was at it’s highest point wondering if it’s just a combination of wicking into the new area and evaporation. It’s been fairly windy. Thanks

Put a 5 gal bucket next to the pond that is filled to the brim. Put a vertical measuring stick in the pond. See if both drop at the same rate (inches per day). If not, then you have eliminated evaporation.

When my pond was filling after renovation it would drop like that after every good rain event.

Up some, down some, up some more, down some more. The more it went up at a shot, the more it dropped after that shot.

It took six months, maybe a little longer, for it to stabilize, and I was a nervous wreck over it the whole time.

You may have a small leak, but it's impossible to know that until the pond has spent some time at full pool and the soil surrounding the pond has become fully saturated.