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Message
New pond dropping 1/2" per day - normal?
Posted on 4/1/24 at 8:57 am
Posted on 4/1/24 at 8:57 am
My Dad just built a new pond (about 2.5 acres). We had a large rain event a month or so ago and it finally filled the pond.
Since, rain has been fairly sparse, and the pond is dropping currently at a rate of about a 1/2" per day. It's currently 15" below its max.
My Dad is freaking out and thinks he has a leak. I did some very minimal internet research and have seen lots of talk about a pond having to "set" and that it is common for new ponds to drop faster during the first year.
Has anyone else had this same experience? Is this normal? I'm really hoping to talk my Dad off his ledge. He just bought $3k worth of fish, so he is freaking out.
Since, rain has been fairly sparse, and the pond is dropping currently at a rate of about a 1/2" per day. It's currently 15" below its max.
My Dad is freaking out and thinks he has a leak. I did some very minimal internet research and have seen lots of talk about a pond having to "set" and that it is common for new ponds to drop faster during the first year.
Has anyone else had this same experience? Is this normal? I'm really hoping to talk my Dad off his ledge. He just bought $3k worth of fish, so he is freaking out.
Posted on 4/1/24 at 9:15 am to Salmon
without knowing anything about your dads soils or how the pond was built it is impossible to say one way or another
like anything else structural though (the pond is a structure) it is not uncommon for integrity to be gradual
like anything else structural though (the pond is a structure) it is not uncommon for integrity to be gradual
Posted on 4/1/24 at 9:29 am to Salmon
It totally depends on the soil type. If it is sand or sandy, then yes, it is most likely leaking out. If heavy clay soil, probably not leaking.
Posted on 4/1/24 at 10:03 am to Salmon
quote:
He just bought $3k worth of fish, so he is freaking out.
I’m not very knowledgeable on this sort of thing but I’d imagine having a 2.5 acre large pond dug cost him way more than $3k so I’d be way more worried there’s a leak somehow than losing $3k worth of fish.
Posted on 4/1/24 at 10:07 am to Salmon
those are rookie numbers. my pond was 10' below my drain pipe last summer before it started raining again...
Posted on 4/1/24 at 10:24 am to cgrand
quote:
without knowing anything about your dads soils or how the pond was built it is impossible to say one way or another
Right. I guess I'm just wondering if anyone has a successful pond build that experienced this type of drop the first year and then noticed stabilization.
The pond has a heavy clay liner.
Posted on 4/1/24 at 11:10 am to Salmon
Honestly, it could be one or the other, and possibly both, but it’s not uncommon for newly built ponds to have some temporary leakage/water loss as they compact/“settle in”.
Is this an leveed pond, excavated, or combo? Was the USDA-NRCS involved in the design, soil survey made prior to construction? They can be brought in, after the fact, for advice/consultation if needed. Does this pond have a drain - often leakage/seepage will occur around a drainage structure.
Even in heavy clay soils, a pond can be “dug” too deep, below the clay layer, and into a “sand lens” resulting in a slow or rapid seepage.
I’ll attach fact sheet on pond leakage - hopefully that is not the issue and it’s just a settling in issue. Renovating Leaky Ponds
ETA: I’m a fisheries biologist (retired) & worked with pond owners for 3+ decades. Leaky ponds was not an uncommon issue.
Is this an leveed pond, excavated, or combo? Was the USDA-NRCS involved in the design, soil survey made prior to construction? They can be brought in, after the fact, for advice/consultation if needed. Does this pond have a drain - often leakage/seepage will occur around a drainage structure.
Even in heavy clay soils, a pond can be “dug” too deep, below the clay layer, and into a “sand lens” resulting in a slow or rapid seepage.
I’ll attach fact sheet on pond leakage - hopefully that is not the issue and it’s just a settling in issue. Renovating Leaky Ponds
ETA: I’m a fisheries biologist (retired) & worked with pond owners for 3+ decades. Leaky ponds was not an uncommon issue.
Posted on 4/1/24 at 12:32 pm to Salmon
move or repost on the outdoor board someone there is a pond builder and always has good information
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