Ky cowboy
Well-known member
I've got several leaks on an old pond dam. Has anyone used bentonite to seal leaks. They're aren't real bad pond never drops more then 12-18 inches, it's more annoying trying to mow around it
Leaking pond dam
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Ky cowboy
Well-known member
1 of the leaks is towards the bottom of the dam. I'm going to get some bentonite this week to try I'll post updates.
bird dog
Well-known member
How are you going to apply it?
Curious on this because one of mine seeps. The seep is towards the bottom.
I also have one the leaks some around the pipe that was put through the dam after the dam was a few years old.
Curious on this because one of mine seeps. The seep is towards the bottom.
I also have one the leaks some around the pipe that was put through the dam after the dam was a few years old.
D2Cat
Well-known member
Have a neighbor with a leaking pond. He had a guy there with a trackhoe who had big 2000# bags of bentonite (he got them from a nearby kitty litter plant) and hoisted them out over the area and dumped. There or four of those bags, and it still leaks!
I think to effectively seal a pond the bentonite has to be applied to the damp mud and worked in with something like a sheepsfoot, which isn't practical. I'd wait until the pond was low, dump the bentonite as close to the leaking area as possible and turn some hogs, cattle, ducks.....something to tromp it in.
I think to effectively seal a pond the bentonite has to be applied to the damp mud and worked in with something like a sheepsfoot, which isn't practical. I'd wait until the pond was low, dump the bentonite as close to the leaking area as possible and turn some hogs, cattle, ducks.....something to tromp it in.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
Ducks
wbvs58
Well-known member
If it goes down that 18 inches fast and the holds the water it sounds like it wasn't built well. The clay down the bottom should have been pushed up on the dam wall to seal it. The first 18 inches is soil and will rarely hold water. I have dabbled a little with bentonite but with little success. I have heard some good reports using some of those polymer sealers used on full dams but I think they have to be relatively small leaks.
Ken
Ken
Ky cowboy
Well-known member
I'm thinking about using small boat and just spreading it by hand around the area its leaking
bird dog
Well-known member
Next question. How do you know where it is leaking? Are you thinking that it is a straight line from the wet area behind the dam to the leak on the other side?
When I ask a friend of mine that has dug hundreds of ponds what to do on mine. he said nothing can be done until the water is removed by pump or drought. But mine seems to be leaking from the bottom of the dam. He also said there is not an easy way to find out where the leak is, The water can travel horizontally through the dam or from top to bottom. It leaks where it can find a channel.
When I ask a friend of mine that has dug hundreds of ponds what to do on mine. he said nothing can be done until the water is removed by pump or drought. But mine seems to be leaking from the bottom of the dam. He also said there is not an easy way to find out where the leak is, The water can travel horizontally through the dam or from top to bottom. It leaks where it can find a channel.
greybeard
Well-known member
1. Get a pair of breeding age beaver. If the pond is leaking/seepeing, they'll find it and seal it off.
2. They bring their own problems tho. Get a couple of conibear raps and/or a rifle with night vision optics to keep the beaver herd down to a manageable size. Otherwise, they will plug off your overflow pipe too. They like their water at the highest level possible.
3. You may have to extend your pipe farther out into the pond. They will quickly plug off the end, but can't seem to find holes in pipe along it's length. An open upset on the end will also help.
All pipes in a pond dam should have an anti seep collar on them.
ecoursesonline.iasri.res.in
2. They bring their own problems tho. Get a couple of conibear raps and/or a rifle with night vision optics to keep the beaver herd down to a manageable size. Otherwise, they will plug off your overflow pipe too. They like their water at the highest level possible.
3. You may have to extend your pipe farther out into the pond. They will quickly plug off the end, but can't seem to find holes in pipe along it's length. An open upset on the end will also help.
All pipes in a pond dam should have an anti seep collar on them.
Soil & Water Conservation Structures: Lesson 20. Drop Inlet Spillway Construction
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kenny thomas
Well-known member
Did you ever get your pond sealed? I cleaned out a pond last fall and it stays about 1/4 full now. I suggested ducks but I can't keep the yotes from killing them.
I looked at the Bentonite and the price has went from $30 a bag to now over $90. Anyone got a cheaper supplier.
I have looked in to it multiple times for different reasons. Basically what my research has concluded is to have a high probability of it working you have to drain the entire pond, disk it in with the bank, and then pack your best dirt back over it. They even give you a process to fill the pond. Any run in from the side can erode the bentonite and be an area that will leak.
This was extremely expensive option and if I went through all that work I would just build it back right.
I have heard of people dumping sacks in to water pipes and what not and letting it work its way to the holes. Best case scenario was it held for a short time period then started leaking again. Same for just dumping them in from the side.
All options were low probability of working and it was very expensive to slightly increase the probability.
With one place I looked in to it at, I could drill a well, install a solar, and run water to it cheaper than I could put bentonite in.
This was extremely expensive option and if I went through all that work I would just build it back right.
I have heard of people dumping sacks in to water pipes and what not and letting it work its way to the holes. Best case scenario was it held for a short time period then started leaking again. Same for just dumping them in from the side.
All options were low probability of working and it was very expensive to slightly increase the probability.
With one place I looked in to it at, I could drill a well, install a solar, and run water to it cheaper than I could put bentonite in.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
It held fine until I cleaned it out but not now. Maybe I will try the ducks and hope I can keep the yotes away. It's a small pond and only for fishing now so it isn't critical. I can pipe a small stream of water from a cave to it so maybe that would help also.I have looked in to it multiple times for different reasons. Basically what my research has concluded is to have a high probability of it working you have to drain the entire pond, disk it in with the bank, and then pack your best dirt back over it. They even give you a process to fill the pond. Any run in from the side can erode the bentonite and be an area that will leak.
This was extremely expensive option and if I went through all that work I would just build it back right.
I have heard of people dumping sacks in to water pipes and what not and letting it work its way to the holes. Best case scenario was it held for a short time period then started leaking again. Same for just dumping them in from the side.
All options were low probability of working and it was very expensive to slightly increase the probability.
With one place I looked in to it at, I could drill a well, install a solar, and run water to it cheaper than I could put bentonite in.
I couldn't believe how high the Bentonite has gotten.
Ky cowboy
Well-known member
No still leaks. We cut thru the top of the dam till we hit the leaks and packed dry clay and bentonite back in. It helped but still leaking hopefully in a few years I'll cut the dam and drain it and redo the dam
