lovemytoys
Gold Member
i have a small pond thats feed from a stream that only runs in the spring.as soon as it stops running it start to leach into the ground (my guess)how can i keep it full longer
i have a small pond thats feed from a stream that only runs in the spring.as soon as it stops running it start to leach into the ground (my guess)how can i keep it full longer
Mousefield,Depending on the size of the pond some people up our way get their ponds "puddled". These tend to be a bit larger pond. This is done by using special clay that is pretty much water tight. Usually it is done by an excavator type of guy who gets the clay and spreads it for you. Our small pond in the backyard is also fed by a seasonal creek and once it starts to dry up so does the pond. Ours is just native clay. We put some water lilies in that have real nice blossoms in the summer. I am just at the point of putting a pump in our year round creek that is close to the house and we pump water into our pond all summer long. Usually we turn the water on for an hour or two in the morning and again in the late evening till the pond reaches the over flow pipe.
Pic 2 is the water line in and pic 3 is the over flow pipe.
I have been told to use bentonite clay to seal the pond. Never heard of "sodium bentonite ". My little pond is about a 1/2 acre, and already has fish in it. Mine leaks down, too. But a couple of issues for me.
Cost - I recently saw an ad from a guy selling bentonite for $400. bucks a ton. I don't know how much my pond would need, but a ton is not very much. My bucket on my loader holds about 1100 pounds of dirt, which isn't very much. So do the math.
Damage to my fish. What effect would dumping bentonite clay into the water do to my fish?
The time to line it with plastic I think came and went when I was building it. Not sure what I can do now.