Dug - but getting nowhere

[sargan]

I have dug out a reasonably large pond aprox 25' x 5' x 3'.... the garden is one level, I will raise the edge by about 6" all round to avoid water 'run in', and have a sump with pumped overflow to prevent overfill.

My issue is I have not yet put a liner in, as it keeps filling with water ......... this is a combination of water 'run-in' and the hole in the ground is the lowest point in garden so is I think providing a sump where my garden in draining into.
I can't prove it, but there is more water there than be accounted just by rainfall.
The base of the 'pond' does not drain, the ground simply holds the water ... I pump it down to about 6" depth but remainder never drains away, even after 4 weeks of no rain and hottest summer in 20 years. The whole site is like this, it does not drain.
Obviously I can go in an manually remove water with bucket, to get it dry enough to add liner.

My concern is, once liner is fitted, and pond filled, will that be OK ..... or will the hole still fill and end up with Liner floating ?
I can't dig a hole under base of pond to act as drain as that would just fill up the same as ' current hole', if I fitted a pump in there, it would be a maintenance issue, how could I ever get at it ?

Am I wasting my time, and should I give up idea of a pond.

 

[sissy]

You will end up with the liner floating up You may have to put in something to get water from going to that area .It sounds like your soil does not perk .So water is not getting absorbed into the ground .You may have to find where the water is coming from first .

 

[slakker]

I wouldn't give up on the idea of a pond... Is there a slope to the ground? Can you build a french drain around to divert the water or it the water table just that high now?

 

[sargan]

There is no option of a french drain .... the ground does not support drainage at all.

The site is flat, the pond is the lowest part (by about 3') .... in fact I would have to fit a pumped overflow to get rid of excess rain water colelction in pond.

 

[sissy]

Then you may have no choice but to do an above ground pond .The water under the liner will just push the liner up even with water in the pond .Being that the area you wanted is the lowest spot you will have no choice as you can't really put it there .Water would under mine any footings you put in

 

[sargan]

Then you may have no choice but to do an above ground pond .The water under the liner will just push the liner up even with water in the pond .Being that the area you wanted is the lowest spot you will have no choice as you can't really put it there .Water would under mine any footings you put in

That would be of no use .... I wanted it to look natural freeform, a raised pond would be the opposite of that.

I may have to forget idea ..... arrrrgh ... so now have new pump and filter have to sell on.

 

[sissy]

You could put drain fields under the pond but it could get expensive and since you say water lays every where not sure where you could lead it to .

 

[dieselplower]

Hold the liner down w some large rocks.

 

[slakker]

Sounds like you have an excavator... Can you trench out some drainage system?

 

[Nepen]

If the water does not drain, do you still need a liner? Can this be a clay/mud bottom pond?

 

[sargan]

Sounds like you have an excavator... Can you trench out some drainage system?

Nope there is nowhere to run it to.

 

[sargan]

If the water does not drain, do you still need a liner? Can this be a clay/mud bottom pond?

In past 24Hrs over 3' of water collected ... and it's muddy and 'orrible ........ want to have clean water in pool.

 

[adavisus]

Making a pond where the ground is at its lowest is always going to be vulnerable to flooding and rising water table problems.

Plenty of heavy plant tubs, large picturesque rocks would help keep the liner in place when rising water levels get under the liner

Regards, andy
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21940871@N06/
http://swglist.wordpress.com/

 

[sargan]

Hold the liner down w some large rocks.

I did have a sort of thought that I could cover bottom of liner with some pea gravel, then put some large rock on it ... worry is would I get large bubbles & bulges from water the other side of liner collecting.

 

[adavisus]

If you have a flat base to the bottom of the pond that would likely collect air bubbles, having a slight slope would vent them