As regards sealing the pond - I believe the blue clay horizon is already sealed. The bucket cuts and teeth marks are just slicks in this clay, and no additional water comes in the hole as you dig deeper into the blue clay.
It is water saturated, but I think it already has zero permeability. Regardless, I will still compact the blue clay layer since the job already requires compaction equipment on location.
My main concern is sealing the overlying sandy clay horizon due to the thin, water-bearing sand layers or stringers. If I have good blue clay to use for the 6" lifts can I make portions of the shoreline steeper than 3:1? I would like to limit the shallow water plant growth wherever possible.
If I can go steeper (in parts), what are the steepest slopes that can be sealed with the various types of compaction equipment?
Finally, is it time and cost effective to use the sheepsfoot roller attachment on the excavator to compact shoreline, or is that only used when you are working in a narrow trench?
