Pottsy, picture this- being in a large crater of lined clay (several miles in diameters) with sand and gravel inside this bowl. I am just one of several gravel pits/ponds in my area but the largest. The ground water moves through the gravel base with the help of some fresh water springs/streams etc. Because of the lack of rain this entire basin is down approx. 2' of water depth including my well and lake. However, my future thought is this, my large lake feeds other gravel pits down the line as I have a large overflow pipe allowing water to flow out of the lake and into a spillway that feeds my neighbors gravel pit and so on in the spring when the water level is high. If at the end of the day when the pit is completed I remove this horizontal overflow pipe and seal the area with clay that maybe I could get a extra couple of feet of total water height in my lake by blocking it departure. The end result would be if I gained a extra 2' or so in the spring etc and I lost 2' feet during the summer due to evaporation etc with drought conditions I will be 2' or so ahead of the game in summer water depth. The lake is constructed so I have 4-6' of sloped bank around the entire 16 acre lake, therefore allowing a great deal of excess water to pool and remain. What are your thoughts from you knowledgeable pondmeisters, can I increase the water depth by simply removing this horizontal overflow pipe, the sides of the lake are reinforced with clay to help seal it. Sorry for running on!!!!
Thanks
Rowly
