Hello All…

I’ve been working with a non profit. A couple years ago they hired a guy to install a half acre pond.

It wasn’t in the best place non of the water really flows to it. But he put it there anyways.


I believe it’s about 8~10’ deep at the center.

It hasn’t ever held water. I directly asked him if he installed a liner he said he did.

That however is a lie. He has to holes he dug at the lowest parts of the pond that extend almost 8~10’ deeper. And the soil layers all are undisturbed matching what I have seen in the property.

It has a some sand, but also slate layers. All he did was just “doze it up smooth into a bowl.

The company is pricing out getting a poly liner for it. A 6mill for 10k. I’m concerned it may not be enough thickness. Then I figure as well it will need a good base layer that is soft for the poly. Just trying to do some due diligence before hand to help guide them.

I might be doing the work when it comes time to install.

Just depends.

I don’t currently have a pictures of the pond.

What are your guys thoughts.

Welcome to Pond Boss, and sorry to hear about this project not working out.

You may already know this, but before going into whether or not to get a liner, is there enough surrounding land to fill the .5 acre hole with water (from rainfall run-off), and is the grading done properly to guide water to the pond?

EDIT: I know you state that none of the water really flows to the pond. If that is the case, then a liner isn't going to help much.

There currently is limited water flow. That’s not to say I couldn’t “redirect” some water.

We have a 3/4acre garden that I may need to lay in some tile. So I could send a few main trunk lines to the pond.

There is a bunch of drainage ditches but currently they all “head away”. You know exactly where we wanted to put the pond. But someone else in their infinite wisdom felt it should go where the water doesn’t flow.


Last year in the spring I was walking the pond. And I was able to spot several spots in the impoundment dam that were leaking through.

Sounds like you've got a good idea of the dynamics.

Lets see what others have to say.

How far away is the better spot to build a pond that has the proper drainage/watershed?

I think I would investigate putting the pond in the right spot vs buying a liner and then having to do additional work on top of it to hope and pray there's enough water after the additional changes are made. Use your current hole in the ground for some of the spoils and move on from there.

This land no matter what will need a liner whether it is clay or Poly. There has been further development of the garden that has taken up the place now where the pond was supposed to go.

My thought is I need to lay in something beneath the liner. But concerned about just using Sand.

Also on top of it all there wasn’t anything ever installed for overflow prevention.

The company has purchased water tankers to help fill the pond for an event.

With enough “water redirection” I can send the water to the pond. My obstacle is right now prep for liner the overflow isn’t anything big for me to think about.