Filled my pond last night...

[cr8tivguy]

I filled my pond last night to see what it would look like with water in it (I plan on draining this out and cleaning out any debris that fell in during construction).

I noticed this morning the water level dropped 1-2 inches. Totally went down the rabbit hole on this- I have a leak-going to have to start all over, etc.

Before I freak out, is it common for the water level to drop slightly in a new pond?

I have a few theories:
1- the liner is setting in and air trapped under the liner is being pushed out.
2- the soil under the pond is compacting.


Here's what I think I am going to do (and I would appreciate your comments)

1- refill the pond to the correct depth.
2- monitor it for a couple of days to see if the water level drops.
3- If it does, inspect the liner above the water level for tears/holes.

But, overall, it's looking great!
TIM

 

[HTH]

I would do exactly as you have outlined. The chance of it being a leak with a new liner is very small. Most leaks are from water running over hidden low spots.

 

[addy1]

Agree with hth. The dirt, liner everything settles when first filled.

Nice looking btw

 

[Mmathis]

Settling?

 

[DrCase]

You got the right idea

 

[sissy]

yep liner settling mine settled over 4 inches in the first month .I used a grease crayon to mark it and measure how the liner was sinking in and I have heavy clay soil so thought it would not happen .That is the only way I could see if it was a leak in the new liner or settling

 

[cr8tivguy]

OMG Thank you all! I was ready to start tearing it apart! Can I just say how happy I am that I found this site. You all have been such an inspiration. My pond is going to be super awesome- and I owe it to all of you.
Thanks
Tim

 

[Mmathis]

OMG Thank you all! I was ready to start tearing it apart! Can I just say how happy I am that I found this site. You all have been such an inspiration. My pond is going to be super awesome- and I owe it to all of you.
Thanks
Tim

Well, we help, but YOU are the one doing all the work!

 

[addy1]

I always have to remind myself that once the bog grows in I "lose" water like crazy. The first real bog year I was sure I had a leak, it drops at least an inch a day sometimes more. Those plants, sun, wind, heat, cause water loss. In the winter my pond hardly ever loses any water, the level stays the same.

 

[Carolyn22]

If you fill your pond and then start up your pumps, you will show a drop in your water level.

 

[fishin4cars]

Tim, Once you have it cleaned out and start it back up watch the water level, If your losing more than a inch a day look for moist area's near the water fall or near the edges. This is usually the most common spots for a leak. 99% of the time they can be fixed with out taking the pond down. I've built many ponds over the years and this is far more common than many may think. settling is a possibility but many times even settling is so slow that it isn't that noticeable. 9 out of ten times I usually find the leak is either near the water fall and is wicking through a small wrinkle in the liner or along the side from the same thing. If that is the case you can simply lift the liner and lace some dirt or a rock under the liner and stop the leak.

Side note, FYI: I have a small leak in my bog. I can tell there is a place that the ground stays moist. even though I know there is a small leak I still don't notice any drop in water level. Although I do use a drip system to maintain my water level. I drip feed 6 gallons of water per hour to 8,900 of water. so I probably wouldn't notice the leak if I didn't see the moist area. I also want to make note I drip feed my 10,400 gallon pond with 8gpm also. Both ponds drip feed but I have only noticed a increase of about $5-8 per month on my water bill. such a small increase in water bill I feel it's justified by better water quality overall.

 

[cr8tivguy]

I'm thinking the problem is a fold in the liner that may have the open end exposed to the water-thus draining to that level.

Is there any preferred caulk or sealant to use with rubber liners? My thought is to run a bead of caulk in the fold to help seal the folds together.

 

[addy1]

I had a fold in the liner in my bog, tried to seal it, usually can, but this was a pita. I finally pulled the liner forward, put dirt behind it to raise the liner and fold above the water level in that area.

 

[cr8tivguy]

This weekend, I'm pulling the boulders off around the pond and looking for the water leak. I have a couple really good ideas where the water is "winning" and think it can be easily corrected. Then it's on to the bog!

OH, I got this really cool product called Rock-on-Roll. Has anyone used it before? It looks like rock and goes over the rubber liner. It helps hide the liner without having to stack boulders/rocks around your pond. Would love to hear your feedback on it if you have used it. Thanks

 

[HTH]

I have seen it on the web. I also understand that for people with the artistic gene one can paint the liner if the right paints are used.