Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Turn dry creek beds into ponds?

I've been told before that on a dry creek bed that there is water somewhere underneath that creek bed relatively close to the surface and that you can put a dam down into the ground which will then push this water up to the surface resulting in a pond. Is this true? Can a dam be dug into the ground that far? Say if the water below the surface is 15 feet down there - can a dam be built that goes 15 feet down into the ground which will then cause that water to come up?

Sounds very 'iffy' to me.

Totally depends upon a lot of things. In some places like central Nebraska where you have sandy soil and a high water table this is basically true. However in other areas, what the earth giveth during one part of the year it will taketh away in another.

I think this is one of those classic "it depends" pond moments. If you can't tie the dam core into the impervious soil layer under the stream it won't do much good.

If it is an actual creek bed and not just wet weather drainage, the "bed" is oftne on heavily fractured bedrock or outcroppings and could be VERY expensive to seal. Creeks that get dry quickly are either run off created or what is called a "losing stream" meaning it will always lose the water that flows into/through it as a replinishing source for the ground waters.

So do ya'll think if there was a well drilled next to a creek and you found water 10 feet down - could a dam be put 15 feet down and it'd push up the water to the surface?

What does the surrounding watershed look like? (If any).

I'll take a photo tomorrow. It has a lot of run off into the dry creek.

If there ground water 10 feet away how do you know if it isn'e 100 ft away. You have to build the dam across the entire aquifer and then the grade above the dam has to be pretty steep to get the water to rise high enough. It would think it can work but only under the right circumstances.

I AM NOT AN EXPERT just giving my opinion.