Any ponds level will drop during the course of a year from evaporation, normal seepage and any use of the pond water such as irrigation or animal watering. During drought conditions a ponds level may drop substantially through evaporation, since there is not enough rainfall to make up for the lost water.
Ponds can leak for a number of reasons, tree roots in dams, muskrats holes in dams, old drain tiles, and sand & gravel streaks that were not properly covered with clay during construction. The most important thing to know when you have a leaky pond is the location of the leak, if you can not at least find the general location of the leak the pond may need to drained and redone, which can be quite expensive. The following are some of the options that you will want to consider if your pond has a leak.
Reconstruction
Reconstruction involves draining the pond, resurfacing the bottom of the pond with compacted clay and repairing the dam if necessary. This method is the most reliable, but it also the most expensive. If you are considering reconstruction, you might want to contact your soil conservation service and check with a reputable pond builder as to cost and feasibility.
Bentonite
If you know the approximate location of the leak or seepage, Bentonite can be used to repair the leak. Bentonite is an expandable clay, that is used at the rate of 1 lb per square foot of area to be treated. Common names that Bentonite might be found under are Akwaseal & Volclay, Bentonite can be found usually at your local feed mill or agricultural chemical distributor. Bentonite can be applied in a number of ways. One way is to bare the area that is suspected of a leak and to cover that area with the Bentonite and then put some soil over the Bentonite and let the pond fill. Another method is to expose the area and then to mix the Bentonite with the soil, let it dry and then fill the pond. The last method, which works best when you know exactly where the leak is, is to just apply it directly to the water, with out lowering the pond, as the leak draws the Bentonite in, the Bentonite will expand up to 16 times it original size and seal the leak.
Liners
If you do not know where the leak or seepage is, if reconstruction is either to expensive or not practial due to soil type, a pond liner represents a definate solution to all forms of leakage and seepage. The pond liner that we recommend is a woven fiber reinforced high density polyethylene called Aqua-Weve. For more information on this type of liner click here
Compacting
Sometimes compacting the soil where you have the leak can work. The method is to drain the pond enough to expose the area and then to compact this area while the soil is still moist. Adding a layer of clay to this process also can help seal leaks.
Make Up Water
If the leak is not to severe, you may wish not to fix the leak and to just make up the water that the pond is losing. The most common method of doing this is to pump water into the pond from your well, many people will use a timer so that the water is pumped into the pond while they are sleeping so it does not interfere with normal water usage.
If you have any other questions on pond leakage or seepage, give us a call on our toll free number 1 866-442-0420.
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