Pond pressure

[Andymac]

Is there any way to calculat

e the pressure the water puts on the sides of the pond? I am building a pond on a slope, with a levelled area extending 4.5m from the edge of the pond. With a 1.5m depth Is this sufficient to hold the water back?

 

[JRS]

If I understand correctly, you have 4.5 meters of soil from the edge of the water at the thinnest part? I think that would be fine. If you want to get precise you'd have to get mathy and figure hydrostatic pressure:

I built my pond on a slope and built a berm on the downslope. Undug dirt much denser than tamped down berm. I backed mine up with rocks; about 800 gallons, 30" deep. My dirt base on the downslope is 3 feet thick at bottom, about 2 feet wide at top with rocks backing it up.

 

[GBBUDD]

Welcome
photos of the area and soil would be most helpful . if your soils are sandy ,then probably not a good idea to reuse without an addition of gravel and or boulders.
Is the SLOPE vegetated with grass or trees? there's more pressure then most would give credit. but the pressures in the top is far less then toward the bottom. sorry for speaking the obvious if it is so to your self we get all kinds of questions here.