For Soilfloc, ping TJ, he is always willing to help.
FWIW, if I understand correctly, you can till in Soilfloc into the dry soils of the pond. Once you get rain, it will swell and clog in place if it doesn't wash out. I would assume a combination of tilling, then laying down something to prevent erosion or even seeding it with ryegrass or similar to keep everything put until it fills.
Well good news and bad news... we had a good amount of rain and saturation the first week of February. The water level rose 6" and got me pretty excited. It's been cold with some light snow ever since and the water level has lost about 3" of the gain. It sure is heck not hot enough to evaporate that fast and must be leaching worse than I thought.
Does anyone know how I can get I touch with " TJ"? Second, does anyone know of an expert in Ohio I get can onsite for a thorough evaluation and help plan the next steps? Third have any of you had issues like this get any recourse from your contractor?
Give TJ a shout. I'd recommend the Soilfloc, he can help with application. In any case I'd recommend cleaning all the cover out from inside the pond so the bottom is clean before applying it, that way it can get to the whole pond bottom. Then put the cover (habitat) back in the pond. I know, I know, a PITA.
Did the NRCS give you any idea on how many acres of watershed feeds the pond? It just sounds like the pond isn't sealed and any water that gets in there leaks out, but that is an observation from here, not on-site.
You will also need to put down erosion matting to stop erosion. Look for erosion mat that is 100% organic, with jute fibers and not plastic mesh/netting. The plastic mesh/netting, when under water can act as a gill net, catching a lot of fish. It won't decompose like the jute erosion mat. The erosion mat is needed so the soilfloc isn't washed into the pond as it fills, causing a potential leak where the soil is eroded away.
A big thanks to TJ for spending some time to talk about my current situation. I'm weighing all of the options at the moment to determine the best course of action.
The hardest part is getting good data on rainfall and drawdown because I am not on-site regularly.
Happy to help, amigo - that's my favorite part of being a Pond Boss volunteer - and also expanding my PB family. Here anytime to assist, you know how to find me.
Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~ Henry David Thoreau