Gopher holes

[WhiteNoise]

Hello all, It's been a while since I've posted as I mainly lurk but I have run into a bit of an issue. So I'm building my 3rd pond and I dug it out last summer, which took me all summer in my spare time and then this past winter we got a ton of rain so I was not able to progress at all. Now the following summer is here and man has the gopher(s) jacked up my pond walls. So during the winter, this part of my yard was covered in waist-high weeds and after taking them down I discovered that my entire backyard was full of gopher holes. I've been talking to an exterminator so that's being taken care of. On to my actual question:

How do I plug these holes so my liner does not get pushed into them once filled up? I already purchased gopher wire (1/2" opening size black PVC coated hot dip galvanized ) and will be installing it first, covering the entire inside of the pond, then geotextile fabric, and then the RPE liner.

I was going to pack dirt into them but these tunnels just go too far back. Then I thought about just placing rocks into them, or mixing some concrete and stuffing the holes....

Any thoughts?


/edit I did see someone on the tube using concrete cloth to line their walls. I mean $799 is nuts for 30 feet of the stuff. A bit rich for my blood.

Thanks!

 

[hamstermann]

I don't have any experience with this, but I'd be tempted to do the concrete or spray some expanding foam in there. (the foam would be lighter so easier to remove if you decide to expand your pond in the future). And I agree - that price is nuts.

 

[Mmathis]

Do you think the spray expanding insulation foam would work? They make a version that is the one you use to block rodent holes, and because it’s chew-proof (or so they say), maybe it would be stronger (?)

 

[hamstermann]

Do you think the spray expanding insulation foam would work? They make a version that is the one you use to block rodent holes, and because it’s chew-proof (or so they say), maybe it would be stronger (?)

I didn't know they made any that was chew proof and specifically for blocking rodent holes. I was just thinking pond foam or Great Stuff. Cool!

 

[GBBUDD]

I was going to pack dirt into them but these tunnels just go too far back. Then I thought about just placing rocks into them, or mixing some concrete and stuffing the holes....

There is a product every concrete company can make called Excavatable flow fill. It's a concrete product . But as the name says if for some reason you need to work that area down the toad the flow fill can easily be dug through with an excavator even small ones. Like you said the holes can get large
It could add up in m price but still better than gopher number 2 coming in

 

[WhiteNoise]

Thanks for the input. I did think about expanding foam, I was worried that though it would block the hole, it would not add any actual strength to the wall as I fill the pond with water.

I was walking around Home Depot today when I came across some sheets of PVC plastic. 3'x8'. This is strong enough to withstand the water pressure and the gopher wire would make it even stronger. I might go down this path as each sheet is $45 and I could just place them around the entire pond, and cut to the proper height. then the gopher wire (mainly to add strength) then the rest of my liner. I think this would do the trick.

 

[Mmathis]

I didn't know they made any that was chew proof and specifically for blocking rodent holes. I was just thinking pond foam or Great Stuff. Cool!

We had mice in our attic a few years ago, and we were thinking of blocking them with the foam and wire mesh. I recall that there was a specific version of [it might have been Great Stuff brand] the foam that was recommended. We never went that route, so I haven’t followed up on it.