i built a 14 acre lake(hole)with a 25' dam across a wash that is normally a dry creek look. the soil off each side is excellent hard clay that went into the dam and my only concern was a little sandy in the middle where the old wash bed was and where the water began to pool first below the dam. its been record dry and i only have about 110 acres of watershed so i was ok that i never had but 3 or 4 feet of water pooled in the middle. as far as it ever got was about 100 yards of water up on the bottom edge of the foot of the dam. i started pumping water from a live creek below the dam at about 3.5 days per acre foot. there was only about a foot of water left at the bottom area when i started in a very small pool. the first week it came up about 3' and in 10 days was about a foot higher than it had ever been- really getting up out of the middle hole and up on to the the foot of the dam. in one day it dropped about 4" and then a few more and seems to be holding its own at about the same level as the old high- the problem is that i am adding about 75 gallons a minute 24/7. its creeped up barely but i am loosing a lot of water. it was Saturday when it dropped big(the pump ran all that day too.)the pool is about 3 or 4 feet . 100-125yards by 50or 60 yards. we bought 3500 lbs of bentonite at only 5 dollars per 100lbs and then realized we dont know what to do with it. Can we dump it in the pool. should we drain it and till in the bentonite. how much do we need. where is the leak. are we wasting that that is applied not on the leak. is it the foot of the dam or the relatively sandy hole in the middle of the pool. we cant find anything wet below the dam. Should i be thinking of a key along the dam edge or just pouring the bentonite on. If i can just throw in the pool then how much until i gave it a good chance to work. how do i apply it. is it even close to as good as tilling it in. thanks and sorry about the length. i am panicked. i envision that every day i am washing out a bigger leak hole and want to act fast.