A stock pond that won't hold water

A stock pond that won't hold water FAQ

Questions we get about this problem

Q01The pond leaks down and won't stay full through the summer

A pond holds water only if it's built in or sealed with material that won't let it through. On the sandy loam of Henderson, Rains, and Wood counties, a basin dug straight into sand drains like a colander, and even in clay country a pond can leak if the core and dam weren't built and compacted right. We dig and shape the basin to hold, build and compact a clay core where the native soil won't seal on its own, and set the dam and spillway so the pond fills and stays full without washing out in a hard rain. Where the right clay isn't on site, we bring it in.

Q02How do you fix a stock pond that won't hold water?

We dig and shape the basin to hold, build and compact a clay core where the native soil won't seal on its own, and set the dam and spillway so the pond fills and stays full without washing out in a hard rain. Where the right clay isn't on site, we bring it in.

Q03Can a leaking pond be fixed, or does it have to be rebuilt?

Usually fixable. We take the pond down, find where it's losing, a sandy zone in the bowl, a core that never got compacted, a spillway cutting the dam, and rebuild that element: a compacted clay core, a liner or bentonite treatment over the leak zone, or a re-set spillway. Full rebuilds are for basins dug in the wrong place to begin with.

Q04How much does it cost to fix or build a stock pond?

Bowl size and depth set the base number; what the soil turns out to be sets the rest. Hitting good clay means the pond seals itself; hitting sand means a liner or bentonite, which changes the budget. We test the soil before final shaping so the quote reflects what your ground actually needs, see pond construction.

Q05What is bentonite and when does a pond need it?

Bentonite is a clay that swells when wet and seals the pores in sandy soil. A pond dug into sandy loam that won't hold on its own gets a bentonite treatment or a compacted clay liner over the leak-prone zones. On the sandy ground of Henderson, Rains, and Wood counties it's a routine part of making a pond hold.

Q06How big should a pond be for my land?

Matched to the watershed feeding it. A pond too big for its drainage area never fills; one too small for a big watershed needs a serious spillway to survive storms. We look at the acreage draining to the site and size the basin and dam to it, that's the difference between a pond that holds full pool and one that disappoints.

Q07When is the best time of year to dig a pond?

Dry season is the easiest digging, late summer into fall, and a pond finished ahead of the winter and spring rains gets its first fill for free. We can dig in most conditions, but a dry basin cut is faster and cleaner than fighting mud, so that's the window we aim for.

Q08Why is there a wet spot below my dam?

That's seepage finding a path through or under the dam, usually a core that wasn't built or compacted right. Left alone it can slowly cut a channel and fail the dam. The fix is opening that section and rebuilding the core in compacted lifts. It's worth addressing before the wet season loads the pond.