Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Renovating a Pond or Lake? Nebraska Farm Pond

Update - Started clearing out muck out of the bottom of the pond with a FEL and it was fairly obvious when you would hit the clay bottom because the color turned from dark black to a lighter grey and was hard enough for the tractor to drive on without sinking in. Randomly as I was backing out out after getting a full bucket of muck, the front left tire of the tractor fell abruptly up to the axel into the soil like I drove into a hole. In order to get out I had to dump the muck and push myself up and out with the FEL then back out. After getting out you could see that the soil changed significantly in this spot. I filled this hole in with some grey clay material and drove over it a few times so I could continue working. I had this happen a couple other times in other locations in the same area of the pond.

I am curious if anyone knows what this lighter color material is under the clay. It was very soft/mushy and easy to dig through with a shovel. It also did not form like the clay did when you tried to compact it. Could these areas potentially be my weak points in the clay bottom that are leaking my water out when the pond is full.

I may post this in the soil forum as well.

Thanks
Kris