Clay for pond lining

[Redneck in training]

I had also lined my pond by bentonite. The guy used fertilizer spreader and spread 14 tons of bentonite over the pond until it was all used. Then bulldozed about a foot of dirt on the top of it. Bentonite swells 20 times its dry volume but needs backpressure to fill all the crevices and plug the leakage. Needles to say that my pond still leaks but much less. I am guessing that the water follows the "hydrant" pipe now. The guy who built the pond was supposed to put two about 3tf diameter "collars" on the pipe but I don't think he has done it. So that is my project for this spring/summer. I need to pump some water out, dig a hole around the pipe and dump some concrete around it a fill it back. Or does anyone have a better idea?

 

[fishwhiz]

Found a good resource for sealing ponds with clay These can be tricky topics. if you have a small pond, you aren't out much, but the gamble of clay pond liners is in big ponds and small lakes.

Bentonite can make a great seal, but there are a number of technical issues in using it. One is if you don't have experience, then don't use it on any slopes steeper than 3 to 1. That may be why some think it doesn't work well. They don't really know how to use the stuff. But what do you expect from an internet forum?

 

[boggen]

Pond Boss Magazine: Welcome like TBN but for mud ponds (clay ponds/lakes)
www.koiphen.com like TBN but for liner ponds (epdm, to fiberglass, to other style of liner ponds)