New Lined Wildlife Pond Losing Water

[Wildlife Woman]

I have built a lined pond, 15feet by 9 feet using Joel Ashton's ideas for wildlife. It was holding water until I did the following.
1. Trimmed fleece liner and pond liner.
2. Filled the area between shelf rocks and liner with river stones.
3. Packed sand over stones and liner edge a good foot margin around pond.
4. Topped up pond.
Our property sits on pure sand on the Great Lakes.
I have obviously done something wrong.
I would love some help with this. One frog arrived this morning
Thank you
PS. It poured rain all night, pond is down at least 5 inches.

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum.

Perhaps the extra weight on the liner edge compressed something and you have water leaking or wicking out through a low spot. Wicking action of the textile underlayment can also go defy gravity to a certain extent, like a siphon over the edge of an aquarium.

Another possibility, and I did this when building my pond, was a cut in the liner when placing a large rock. Fortunately I noticed and patched it before filling. After that, I used another layer of underlayment between the large rocks and the pond liner to protect it.

 

[FishfunAZ]

I really like how your pond came out! is it possible that after you cut the lining back, when you added the stones a part of the liner either got pushed down or pulled back and down some where? It sounds like you did the bottom well with he sand and all. I would definitely start at the outside edges and work my way in/down.

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

What kind of liner did you use? I was going to say the same thing as @JRS.

Most of us have more clay-like soil, which makes it easier to detect a leak (clay retains water) — you just look for the wet areas that shouldn’t be wet. Sand is likely not going to give you that advantage, though. And you did say that it just rained.

 

[j.w]

@Wildlife Woman
I agree w/the other posters, I think heavy rock has pushed down on liner. All the rain could have softened up your soil to allow this to happen. We try not to cut excess liner when doing the pond as you never know when an issue like this will happen. We tuck or roll the liner up and keep a lot of it just in case.

 

[Wildlife Woman]

Hello and thank you for responding, I used DPM liner with a pond fleece over top. Is it possible the sand I packed over the liner edge and the stones is wicking away the water like a sponge.? I have read about kitty litter ( plain, cheap, non scented, non clumping), could this amend the sand giving it more properties of the clay?
And yes, now I am worried about cutting the lining too close but here I am.
The pond was definitely holding water until I played around with the liner edge, lots of small river stones pushing down on liner edge.

 

[GBBUDD]

Water generally will only wick about two inches up in my experience not to say it. Would not be more but , loosing 5 inches in half a day is not wicking that's a low edge or a cut. But yes sand will show where a leak is it darkens.

The easy solution does not exist but if you let the water level drop untill it stops you then know there are no leaks below that pont and at least one leak is at that level of the pond. Once you find that fill the pond up and see if it drops

 

[Wildlife Woman]

Water generally will only wick about two inches up in my experience not to say it. Would not be more but , loosing 5 inches in half a day is not wicking that's a low edge or a cut. But yes sand will show where a leak is it darkens.

The easy solution does not exist but if you let the water level drop untill it stops you then know there are no leaks below that pont and at least one leak is at that level of the pond. Once you find that fill the pond up and see if it drops

Thank you for this, still raining here. I have pulled back the sand so I can see the liner edge and any low points. I will post more when I find the answer. Great forum

 

[Wildlife Woman]

Scraped back sand from liner edge, topped up water. Still pouring rain. Holding my breath, as of 4:15 pm, my little wildlife pond is holding steady. I feel like a Dragonfly perched on a feather. Please let it hold.

 

[GBBUDD]

From your photos your build looks very much like a pro build with extremely low edges theres very few edges where i don't have 4" from water level to top of liner. IN TIME EDGES CAN AND DO DROP

 

[Wildlife Woman]

From your photos your build looks very much like a pro build with extremely low edges theres very few edges where i don't have 4" from water level to top of liner. IN TIME EDGES CAN AND DO DROP

This was a me job not a pro job, what can be done to amend low edges?

 

[GBBUDD]

Yes i under stand you built it But unlike the pros you probably don't know the dangers of the low edge and fabric, rocks, and plants wicking water.
If you cut your liner it won't be easy. but you maybe able to drop the water level and lift the back side of your ricks or lower the pond side making your liner taller by dropping the water line.

you can also make the pond a few inches smaller by closing it in thus giving you more material

 

[Wildlife Woman]

Yes i under stand you built it But unlike the pros you probably don't know the dangers of the low edge and fabric, rocks, and plants wicking water.
If you cut your liner it won't be easy. but you maybe able to drop the water level and lift the back side of your ricks or lower the pond side making your liner taller by dropping the water line.

you can also make the pond a few inches smaller by closing it in thus giving you more material

You are so right about the pond liner, it has shrunk down behind the rocks a the deep end. I think making the pond smaller to free up the liner is a good suggestion. Wondering if mixing kitty litter with sand to fill the gap would add some clay and strengthen the sides. The water level now is down about 4 inches from top of liner and it seems to be holding there.
I so appreciate your suggestions. I looked at your work, your ponds are wonderful.

 

[GBBUDD]

You are so right about the pond liner, it has shrunk down behind the rocks a the deep end. I think making the pond smaller to free up the liner is a good suggestion. Wondering if mixing kitty litter with sand to fill the gap would add some clay and strengthen the sides. The water level now is down about 4 inches from top of liner and it seems to be holding there.
I so appreciate your suggestions. I looked at your work, your ponds are wonderful.

sounds like after you dug you did not compact the soil before boulders were placed and thus they are settling

 

[Wildlife Woman]

sounds like after you dug you did not compact the soil before boulders were placed and thus they are settling

Ahhh that makes sense. Do you think I should put river stones behind the liner to make it smaller? Or just the sand I dug out?