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Getting ponds to hold water
- Thread starter ClinchValley86
- Start date
We dug this hole in front of what would become our new ranch house 23 years ago in mainly sand. If I recall, we used 10 tons of bentonite. Just spread it out and disked it in and prayed. Yes it was a gamble but not too expensive back then. Probably not worth it now. However, it has become the main focus of our place. So many memories and dove hunts. Has become the final resting place of some family and friends ashes. It used to be the only surface water for many miles. We have since dug out many shallow Lagunas (although one is 10' deep) that naturally hold water due to caliche below. Solar wells run constantly into pilas then into these Lagunas.
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That is nice and green around there. It looks to be at least waist deep.
Mrcopier
Well-known member
That’s would be what I would do
kenny thomas
Well-known member
If your gonna take the sod off check in one spot and see how deep the sediment is. Don't clean deeper than the old pond was.
Also thats some of the best topsoil you could get for a garden or yard.
Drops off to about 6' and deeper along the dam. Deep enough that I have seen horses swimming in it. Shallow areas up front used to be a peninsula that we ended up taking out. Was too much of a pain to dig deeper. Lots of catfish.
This forum is focused on lined ponds[ and the decorative aspects of them: koi and waterfalls], but there are some discussions on sealing natural [unlined] ponds.
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/
Hopefully you will find a lot of clay in the underlying soil
https://www.gardenpondforum.com/
Hopefully you will find a lot of clay in the underlying soil
OP
OP
I will definitely have a 4x4 1 ton dump truck sitting right there when I do it. Going to bring that stuff to the house and pile it up. While there is may try de sodding 2 or 3 of them. I could really use that rich soil.
The pond is size enough that I think my uncle's case 580 with the entendahoe ought to do a pretty good job of reaching towards the center. Probably the most accessible machine I've got, closest proximity anyhow.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
That soil is very fertile. Grow a good garden. Hahaha
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mwj
Well-known member
Do you have access to any decent clay to replace it with?
OP
OP
Reading my mind. Love my veggies!
OP
OP
kenny thomas
Well-known member
If it was a pond before the clay is already there.
I have seen several pretty good ponds in that area so the soil must be suitable. Brother-in-law dug one down the road from there and it held immediately. Skim the topsoil off the ponds pack the ponds soil and have a good garden and good pond. A lot of rain moving in would have been good to have it ready. Looking forward to all those veggie pictures.
OP
OP
If this deal goes thru, we make it happen.
Mark Reynolds
Well-known member
The pines in Idaho have a potential to do this. Tamarisk in the southwest is a real problem for this. However, in east Tennessee that's not going to be a concern or potential cause typically.
Mark Reynolds
Well-known member
@ClinchValley86, the fact that they held water at one point in time says a lot. That tells me the sites are appropriate for the ponds. Many sites/soils aren't appropriate to begin with and will never hold water without an excessive amount of input.
You mention there are mines in the area. I don't "know" what kind of mining has been done in the area, but the sudden collapse of watering systems, in particular permanent natural spring failures, although ponds are common 'victims' as well, are victims of longwall mining frequently. If this is the case, the outlook for 'recovery' of the pond is int good, although there are success stories, moreso for ponds, especially with intervention, but also for springs. That leaves you with the problem still and no definitive solution. Belmont county in Ohio (we have a CT participant that resides very near this area and may know more thana myself or may even be an unfortunate victim theirself) that may be able to provide more insight than me. The first thing I would do if I were in your shoes is see where the mining took place and when. After that, and assuming the mining was done in close proximity in both time and location of the pond failures, begin a search for possible remediation measures that the mines have set up to compensate land holders that have been negatively impacted by water service disruption attributed to mining. Find out WHO can be compensated. I say this as you may not qualify as you were not on the land at the time of the occurrence of the disruption, but the owner of the land may be entitled and could secure compensation for theirself which can then become part of what you are leasing from the landowner. To this point, mining companies have are being held accountable in Belmont county for these losses and are being required to compensate landowners. Depending on what you find going this route, your next step should be to secure the services of your local SWCD and/or NRCS to analyze soil and mine conditions and potential mitigation solutions including pond sealing (actual NRCS practice) and/or other measures that can be implemented. Throughout the process, remember that you are leasing the land and all solutions need to be cleared with the landowner and, depending on the solution may only be available to the landowner, and potentially NOT you as the lessor. Understand I am not saying that not available to you, but they MAY not be available to you.
Hope this helps.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
The mine there was a Zinc mine. They removed the zinc and left millions of ton of very good powered limestone. There were no mining laws at that time so no permits or bonds held against it. It was never reclaimed. They have hauled ag lime from the site all my lifetime. Still load tractor trailers of it every day.
At one time, I had an aerial picture of a whole valley that is storage for the lime you are talking about. That is why lime is so cheap for us in this area. It is basically just the trucking cost to have it delivered.
My father-in-law (deceased now) worked many years underground at that mine. I have heard him tell a lot of stories about it. The area now uses the mine shafts as their water supply and there is some concern if they take the water level down to much a lot of sink holes will occur. From the large pile of lime that use to be there, Treadway (most got hauled to Thorn Hill site in the late 1970s) and destroyed the 131 road at that point (big trucks way overloaded). When the mine closed my father-in-law was offered a transfer to the Cartledge Tennessee mine, but he didn't go.
From hearing my father-in-law talk it was amazing how much lime they got out in one shift (he was a welder and did a lot of the underground welding.) With all the regs now-a-days probably couldn't do it now, but there would be less people injured or killed. I have been in the buildings in the 1980s (most gone now) and no way would I go down in the hole there and work. Drilling a well around there you don't have to go very deep but expect it to be limey.
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