Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Help Pond Water Level

I currently have 3 "farm" ponds on my property. 2 of the ponds function perfectly. Water levels are fine, livestock, vegetation etc.

The "main" pond isn't. The fish population is fine, however for the past two years the water level has dramatically decreased.

Previously the pond would get so full, from the rain/run-off, that we had to build a spillway so it wouldn't collapse the walls when overflowing (a pretty spillway with rocks and all that jazz). It still fills up to where the spillway is in use; however, after about a week it is back down to a very small level comparatively. For example the water level used to be exactly at the "rim" of the pond, now I can walk down inside the rim and the rim is at about shoulder height and I'm 6'. We first noticed this after we came back from a vacation in FL about 3 years ago, now I’m unsure if this has any significance or not but at around this same time the cattail population decided to explode in the pond as well.

Could this be related? What could cause such a massive leak without it being obvious?

My wife says that she noticed it (of course) about 3 years ago after all of the US was hit with a pretty good drought, that it dried up down to that level and has never stayed higher.

We researched and looked around the pond and tried finding wet spots and everything, but nothing is standing out. The Pond is not spring or pump fed, strictly formed from rainfall and run-off, but again for the first 6 years never had any problems with it not maintaining a higher water level.

EDIT: The reason why its the "main" pond is because it is directly across the driveway of my front yard and everyone can see it, its beautiful when its full we have picnic tables, hammock, etc etc. So it really sucks that its not performing!

Welcome to the forum.

How old is the pond? How was it constructed? Is the majority of land around there good clay, sand, or ? Did the pond have clay in the basin that was compacted to seal it?

Could muskrats have moved in to feed on the cattails, and tunneled thru the clay liner (if there was one)?

Could trees that were in the basin when the pond was dug, have finally had their roots rot away, leaving a water passage to a permiable layer?