I know this really depends on climate and weather but its my first year with a decent size pond and was trying to get an idea on how much the water level will drop through out the summer? We've been going through a little dry spell for a few weeks of high 80s and sunny weather and Ive noticed the pond has dropped 2-3" inches so far, nothing Im concerned about but got me thinking what should I expect for the rest of the summer.
Water level drop during summer
- Thread starter rjp44
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Mmathis
TurtleMommy
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Like you said, a lot depends on your climate, and then there is the size of your pond. Where do you live? How big is your pond?
I am in NW Louisiana where it gets hot and very humid. We are already into the 90’s. Before I moved, my pond was 3000 gallons (I’m currently between ponds). I would watch the water level using the rocks as a guide. I couldn’t tell you how much I lost, but I found myself adding a little bit of water every few weeks — well, when it didn’t rain. The rocks that were at water level were a factor, too, as they would get hot and hasten evaporation. But what I was the most worried about was the temperature of the pond! I was shocked that the water temps were hugging the high 80’s! I added a couple of shade sails which helped dramatically. I had surface plants, but even with those, the water got warm.
Bottom line is that the smaller the pond the more quickly water will evaporate and the more quickly the water will heat up. (Actually, the rate of evaporation will be the same no matter what size the pond is, but it’s more critical in a smaller pond). I believe there is a formula for calculating evaporation, so maybe someone can post that.
I am in NW Louisiana where it gets hot and very humid. We are already into the 90’s. Before I moved, my pond was 3000 gallons (I’m currently between ponds). I would watch the water level using the rocks as a guide. I couldn’t tell you how much I lost, but I found myself adding a little bit of water every few weeks — well, when it didn’t rain. The rocks that were at water level were a factor, too, as they would get hot and hasten evaporation. But what I was the most worried about was the temperature of the pond! I was shocked that the water temps were hugging the high 80’s! I added a couple of shade sails which helped dramatically. I had surface plants, but even with those, the water got warm.
Bottom line is that the smaller the pond the more quickly water will evaporate and the more quickly the water will heat up. (Actually, the rate of evaporation will be the same no matter what size the pond is, but it’s more critical in a smaller pond). I believe there is a formula for calculating evaporation, so maybe someone can post that.
JBtheExplorer
Native Gardener
I add water maybe twice a week in summer, at least when temps are over 80 and there's no rain. My water level is just slightly above the bottom of my flagstone rocks, so I have to add or my liner shows.