IN NEED OF HELP PLEASE!

[Myninja99]

Hello I just created my account here so I could get some advice on fixing my grandparents family homes pond... we just keep filling it up and it just drains again within a week it was dug and sealed maybe 40 years ago so I assume it needs a reseal and what not. My grandfather recently passed from covid so I’m now taking care of my grandmother who also has it. I was wondering if I could get any advice on making it beautiful as it once was. Any help is greatly appreciated!
ps. The first photo is currently and the birds eye it what it once looked like..

 

[Myninja99]

Looking for the most cost effective way to seal it we have access to heavy machinery so that isn’t a problem

 

[addy1]

Welcome to our forum.

So sorry about your grandparents, my prayers are sent to you and yours.

What kind of pond is it? Liner, concrete, clay bottom? How big? How deep. It looks very nice.

 

[TheFishGuy]

Welcome! It sure was a huge beauty! Hope we can help you along in your journey of fixing it up

Sorry to hear about your grandparents.

 

[Gemma]

Beautiful pond!
Sorry about your loss!

 

[Lisak1]

Oh my goodness! What a lovely pond. What is it sealed with, do you know? It doesn't appear to be a liner pond.

I'm sorry to hear about your grandparents - I'm sure that's been very hard on all of you.

 

[j.w]

@Myninja99
Sorry about your grandfather's passing and hope your grandmother will pull through w/your help.
Not sure what to do about resealing. All I know to do is put in a rubber liner.

 

[Myninja99]

Thank you for your condolences it really has been the hardest thing to ever hit our family because he always took care of everyone and everything... thank you all for your help. I believe I remember him telling me that it was sealed w clay and plastic sheeting but rn it’s just a mud hole . I know it’ll probably cost a lost but I’m looking for the best route to go.

 

[Lisak1]

I wondered if it was a clay lined pond. I don't have any experience with that particular subject but maybe others here can help.

The other option is to turn this into a liner pond and drop in an EPDM rubber liner. The look would change somewhat as you would need some type of edging - typically large boulders or flagstone - to hold and hide the liner. Once you decide which way to go, there are lots of helpful experienced people here to help you along the way.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

So sorry for all you're going through right now. I don't know about lining with anything other than a rubber liner (unless it's a natural body of water type of pond) If it keeps draining out, I'd say some man-made intervention is going to be required, and as of right now, fitting the space with an EPDM (or similar) liner would be the way to go.

 

[GBBUDD]

I thought this might have been a clay pond when i saw what looked like a island in the middle.
I have never built a clay pond but i know the basics.
1. i would dig a few test pits nothing big but find out how deep / thick the clay is.
2. if you have a good 6 inches to a foot of clay then bentonite is your answer. now the percentage of bentonite that you need is outside my knowledge but google is your friend there.
Basically you spread the bentonite over the entire bottom of the pond and up out of the pond into the shore line. and you then mix in the bentonite with a roto tiller. if the clay looks more like top soil then i would add a new layer of clay add the bentonite. if you get a real good quality of clay you may not need any bentonite. But beware bentonite to dispose of can be a real pip

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome!

 

[Doctor mcboy]

with my clay pond i dug the bottom of the pond up with a tiller about 8 or 12 inches or so deep. then i got all roots and rocks out. then i compacted the clay and that was it.

 

[GBBUDD]

ouch all that work and you didn't add new bentonite ? that would have been a nice insurance policy

 

[Doctor mcboy]

it is the old fashioned way to make a pond .i tested my soil at the bottom of the pond. it has more than 20 percent clay content. the sc farm guide said that was enough clay to seal if all debris are pulled out. and it worked . i wanted to go minimalist with this no liners and such.