Ouch. A big pond? Bentonite clay.

Old timers will tell you to throw a pig in the pond.

 

Old timers will tell you to throw a pig in the pond.

You know there is likely something to that statement. Two years ago I quit raising hogs, but the wallows they created still hold water!! In what otherwise is considered sandy soil!!

Guess they make thier own version of lining material?

 

It works, they waller around, making a big old muddy mess....combined with piggy do do ends up sealing over the leak. Wasn't uncommon to have guys fence off a leaking pond and toss in a bunch of pigs.

 

I used a EPDM lining for my swim-by pond, It works great doesnt break down and the dogs nails have yet to puncture it. Got it in Commerce City, they had the best price. I think it was around 50 to 60 cents per sq ft.

 

I have also heard hay and cows

Bentonite is expensive and not always effective, it should be spread and mixed into the surface soil, then wet down and allowed to dry before filling then pond, if an existing pond draining and when completely dried out digging down to clay could solve the problem, unfortunately there are no sure fire solutions

clay from a construction site if spread evenly and compacted will work also but the cost of hauling could make it prohibitive

pond liners are another option although they are susceptible to tearing

 

Really need to find out from where the pond is leaking. Dam leaks are easier to fix, like Dr. Ed said will have to be re-dug and new keyway laid in, with dam repacked. If it is a lateral leak out the body of the pond---you may never get it fixed. I've got one, we tried everything on-spent a fortune(my lawyer owns it) in bentonite, liners, etc.... still leaking. We are seriously talking about pigs if the latest contractor can't plug her up.

 

Nancy, quit wasting money and put the pigs in there.
They work, and when you are through they are much tastier than earth moving equipment!!

 

We have a slow leak at the base of the dam....not going to rebuild the dam, going to try bentonite is we can find a source to deliver some...

 

Spreading bentonite over the surface won't work. Bentonite works by becoming hydrated while in confinement. Basically, you mix it with soils, when water is introduced it swells about 300% its volume to effectively "seal cracks" in the soil. It works like spray insulation foam but, underground. It must have soil weight on top of it to work.

You can find bentonite at any ferguson waterworks or united pipe stores. Should be about $15 for a 50lb bag. If you were in Washington, I'd sell it to you for $8.

Feel free to PM if you want. I'm always happy to chat on out 1-800 number.

 

I make a living building ponds- well, ponds to store radioactive waste, cow crap, winery waste, garbage, oil, gas, etc. Usually about 40,000sf to 4,000,000,000sf.

Bentonite powder installation: remove top 12" of soil. dig up another 12-18". Mix powder in stockpile to specified % based upon local soils.(manufacturer can help) Place stockpile back evenly in pond. Compact to minimum 95% proctor. Place remaining 12" soil layer back over bentonite ammendment.

GCL's / Geosynthetic clay liners are a sandwhich of fabric with clay quilted into the material. Remove 12" of soil, prepare smooth, drum rolled subgrade, install GLC blankets, cover with soil and re-roll.
14'x150' roll. $ 0.70 per SF supply only

EPDM (firestone rubber) popular with landscapers. Glue seams with rubber cement. Good for homeowner installation. Holds up ok. 50' x 100' make single panel size, 45-MIL $ 0.50sf supply only.

RPP-Reinforced poly pro- heat weldable. UV stable. very good material. 90' x 300' largest single panel size. You'll want at minimum an experienced installer to assist. 36-MIL $ 0.70 sf supply only.

HDPE- best material for price. Requires 100% qualified installer crew. 60-MIL thickness, supplied and installed $ 0.65 per sf.

10-MIL Visqueen- $ 150 per roll. seam with fancy double stick tape. 40' x 100' roll.

There are others such as woven coated materials but, avoid them. They are glorified blue tarps.

Your biggest cost will be doing the dirt work to prep for a liner. The liner is only as good as the soil you put it on. Smooth, compacted surface and put a protective layer of clean soil over the liner and it will last a long time. Rough, rocky subgrades which have sinkholes will make the liner fail as fast as you fill the pond.

If you ever can see or touch bentonite or any clay product in the pond it wasn't installed in a manner which will not leak.

 

I had forgotten this one, someone posted it long ago, Seepage Control, another option

http://www.seepagecontrol.com/?gclid=CKjPv9yw2qICFRAN2godLg66wg

 

What if you can't drain the pond?

 

if you know the approximate location of the leak you dump the stuff in (bentonite pellets or this Seepage control product), it is heavier than water and sinks to the bottom and fills in the leak, or so they say....

 

Tough to fix it. I have an office in Sparks, NV. They run across the seal it all guys. Key to their success? They never quantify their results. They do ponds which are already leaking. If they even slow it down most owners are happy.

Tough to give good advice on the internet but, you need to pump the pond out to fix a dam correctly. Depending on the size of the dam, you may or may not be concerned. Any time water leaks through a dam face it transports fine materials and leaves voids in the dam. These become sinkholes which become bigger failures. If seepage is all, I probably wouldn't mess with it. If your water level is going down fast and you have irrigation water coming in(1,000gallons or more a day) Id worry.

Cow crap doesn't seal leaks either. Usually, farms have used local clays or selected places for ponds with naturally occuring clays. Farmers like their drinking water wells tasting like crap as much as the next guy. And, in the old days, most wells were shallow compounding the need to actually attempt to line the lagoons.
here is a good example.....
http://www.king5.com/news/environme.../environment/Waste-pond-failure-sends-manure-into-Snohomish-River-90797474.html

 

Paul,

Not a chance....but thank you for the offer. The pond is used by cattle, too. I would think using a liner wouldnot work. Wished I could get rid of them, considering fencing off our property and sucking up the taxes just to keep the turds off the pond....not to mention getting a large quantity of soil to dump on top wouldn't be easy....it's pretty far out in no mans land.

Wished we had an excavator, we want to dredge the pond before attempting to seal it....it really needs some work.

Lainee

 

I am a grading and excavation contractor in Northeast TN and have built many ponds for all types of uses drinking water, manure lagoons, retention ponds, landfill leachate and about everthing in between. I built a training pond on my property where my house is located that is about 6 acres in size. I have had about 5 different sink holes fall out over the past 7 yrs or so that required me draining and fixing. I still have a leak somewhere that will slowly drain my pond down about 2 feet if I dont pump some water in every couple of weeks. I tried the seepage control stuff and even had my chemist at Eastman chemical company figure out what it was made from. Needless to say I would not recommend that product they would not even try to listen to my complaints. Anyway I have a lot invested in my fish population and will continue to pump when it needs it or until a another sink hole falls out at which time I will go back again and try to line with a couple more feet of clay. Leaking ponds can be very difficult to fix when you cant find the hole they are leaking from. I can tell you from much experience the main key in building a new pond is getting all the organic soils out proof rolling the bottom and undercut any soft soils. Then compact a good clay liner and if you have a good source of bentonite affordable to you go ahead a place a layer mixed in with your soils at the appropriate rate for your soils to ensure you want have any problems.
I see alot of people get a real small contractor that is cheap and does not have the proper equipment or knowledge to build ponds by the hour. Not a wise investment in your property.
Chad

 

I am a grading and excavation contractor in Northeast TN and have built many ponds for all types of uses drinking water, manure lagoons, retention ponds, landfill leachate and about everthing in between. I built a training pond on my property where my house is located that is about 6 acres in size. I have had about 5 different sink holes fall out over the past 7 yrs or so that required me draining and fixing. I still have a leak somewhere that will slowly drain my pond down about 2 feet if I dont pump some water in every couple of weeks. I tried the seepage control stuff and even had my chemist at Eastman chemical company figure out what it was made from. Needless to say I would not recommend that product they would not even try to listen to my complaints. Anyway I have a lot invested in my fish population and will continue to pump when it needs it or until a another sink hole falls out at which time I will go back again and try to line with a couple more feet of clay. Leaking ponds can be very difficult to fix when you cant find the hole they are leaking from. I can tell you from much experience the main key in building a new pond is getting all the organic soils out proof rolling the bottom and undercut any soft soils. Then compact a good clay liner and if you have a good source of bentonite affordable to you go ahead a place a layer mixed in with your soils at the appropriate rate for your soils to ensure you want have any problems.
I see alot of people get a real small contractor that is cheap and does not have the proper equipment or knowledge to build ponds by the hour. Not a wise investment in your property.
Chad

Spot on correct. I've installed 3 liners in golf courses in Arizona and Nevada after they spent a few hundred thousand dollars on the seal-a-leak goo. Its a PITA to remove and dispose of after it covers your ponds.

You might try bentonite pellets then dump a bunch of quickrete on top of it. It's a crap shoot but, you never know. If you find the exact leak spot it might clog it up.

"wet dredging" or drag line dredging will probably make your leak get worse. You'll be removing what little material is still holding water. Sometimes just a layer of leaves is holding the water in place. I'll get a few pictures of an unlined park pond with 100 years of leaves in it. They took out the leaves and it wouldn't hold water. We went back and lined it after the fact.

 

There are two primary types of leaks. Those with a structural flaw, such as a seam, sink hole, muscrat hole, etc, and general seepage due to excessive porosity of soils.

If it is a structural issue, it must be flat out plugged some how.

If it is seepage, there are two general types of treatments. Bentonite (as previously mentioned) and expanding liquid types.

I dug a pond last summer that filled well in spring and seeped. I tried the Bentonite, and did not see much of a result.

I have recently purchased a product called DB 110 from Pond Doctors. It is a mix/spray on product that is much less expensive and easier to apply then Bentonite. However, you must use some sort of trash pump to violently mix the stuff up. It is oooey, gooey, sticky, and expands like you won't believe. It is also easy to re-apply, and often you will need more then one application. Just start the pump and spray.

I did apply it to my pond, and it seems to be working. However, I just did some additional work on the overall project and have diverted flow from the pond, so I can not say at this time it is cured. It is non toxic as well.

We are also have not had rain for quite a while and things are bone dry. With that said, I do see a difference using the DB 110.

In summary, I would NOT use bentonite again as if it is seepage, you must really cover all of the areas, berms, etc or it will not be that effective. DB 110 mixes with pond water and is drawn into any seeps, and because it is so sticky, it binds and further expands. DB110 costs about half of what Bentonite does, maybe less. The guys at Pond Dr.s could not have been more helpful..they return phone calls, discuss, etc.

Jim