Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Pros & Cons of Spring Fed Ponds

As was stated earlier, springs don't have a one way valve on them, what they give they can also take away.

I actually consider a "spring fed pond" a groundwater pond unless there is actually an artesian spring feeding the pond, or a spring that flows into the pond from above the high water line in the pond. Groundwater ponds fluctuate according to groundwater levels, or water that has not percolated down into the groundwater yet. i.e. a pond that is dug 10' deep in sandy soil, and it has a 12" layer of clay at 12' depth. Snowmelt or rain completely saturates that top 12 feet of soil, and the water seeps into the pond. As the water seeps through that clay layer, or vegetation uses that water, the water in the pond will slowly recede.

If I had a choice between a pond that was sealed and had to rely on watershed flow or a well to keep the pond full vs. a water table or spring fed pond, I'd pick the sealed pond.

The upside to a ground water pond is that when the water recedes from the pond, nutrients in the water are also leached out, so that helps (or hinders) depending on the specific pond.