The finished pond from the surface looked nice. Looks can sure be very deceiving. The stuff underneath the nice smooth surface appears to be interlaced with junk. On the positive side - - It is much better that the side wall failed now before you had a well established population of large bass. With all those roots mixed in with the side wall of the dam,,,,, it is no wonder the weakest spot failed. One should never intermix tree roots, limbs and other non good soil materials into the wall of a dam or side walls if you want to pond to NOT leak or have minimal seepage. Constructed with that intermixed soil consistency and poor compaction, it is no doubt many other spots along that wall have a very similar pond wall weakness. Those walls do not appear to be well built and well compacted. IMO He dug a hole but did not really create a WELL BUILT pond. You dig a hole however you BUILD a pond.
As questioned and noted above - did water flow over top the wall to cause the breach or did water soaked lose dirt composing the wall just soften and succumb to seepage until water started moving through the wall????
My worry would be how much of the entire wall had this intertwined rotten material for that long distance of your entire long narrow pond. That root infested dirt should have never been used for the wall of a pond. Bad bad decision. That buried stuff made the wall composed of very lose weak dirt. Sooner or later in time maybe numerous years all those rotted decayed roots would turn to mush and will make the wall actually porous and even less strong.
Was the wall that failed next to the river/stream? Flood events soaking the outside wall with rushing swirling current will strongly tend to erode the wall facing the river. If yes and if you want long term strong wall structure of the outside side wall facing the river side, IMO that whole wall should be rebuilt. You will likely have to drain the entire pond to get the built strongly and correctly. I even question the other embankment walls for long term structural integrity and strength to resist major seepage when buried roots turn to soggy mush.
Also I do not think very much of your fish stocker by putting catfish into a pond for growing big LMB. Buyer always beware. 2nd and 3rd truly professional experienced opinions are always best in pond management and for when taking care of your health and body. Homework, homework, homework. Fish farms are always good at selling and pushing small bass & various fish - growing trophy or even just consistently large bass takes special knowledge and management. You have always got to remember Fish Farms are in business for specializing in small fish, selling fish, and making money --- AND not necessarily are they real knowledgeable for achieving the goals of growing specialized, big or trophy fish.
Overall - Our mentor Bob Lusk will say you just paid a big dumb tax. You did not know - what you did not know. Now you are beginning to learn a lot about pond building and fish management. YOU PAY TO LEARN! . You pay to go to school to learn, You pay by your mistakes, or Pay in time to fix your mistakes.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 03/28/23 08:58 AM. Reason: enhancements
