Water Under Liner

[herzog.drew]

Hello,

This is my 3rd year of having a small, 250 gallon pond. It’s in really, really awful clay soil. Every part of it goes perfectly, except when it rains; water gets under the liner and the pond water itself turns into borderline mud.

I’ve read multiple posts and articles about putting a pipe somewhere or a building a berm, something about the pond water level needs to be higher than the ground water level, etc. I’ll be honest, I’m simply confused. I was wondering if anyone else could explain to me what to do and even kinda dumb the explanation down for me.

 

[herzog.drew]

 

[herzog.drew]

I replied with two pictures that show the before and after of the pond. The water looks so clean as well before the rain and all the flooding happens. Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum.

What you need it to build up the edge so it is a higher then the surrounding land. Then rain runoff will not run into the pond.

 

[addy1]

It only needs to be a few inches higher then the surrounding land.

 

[mrsclem]

I don't think the problem is water getting under the liner but the runoff from the rain getting in. If you raise the edges of your liner, no more muddy water.

 

[Lisak1]

DOES the water get under the liner? From what I can see, your edge is built completely wrong.

@addy1 - can you share your drawing that illustrates how to bring the liner up behind the rocks?

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I'm going to agree that your too low edge is causing both the problems. In the first picture, I'm seeing the dreaded 'hippo' on the left side, correct? Does your pond have any sort of overflow pipe or planned area? It doesn't appear to, and when it gets full it seems to simply be right at ground level, hence the mud flowing in. You definitely need to remove those edge rocks, build the ground up a few inches higher than the surrounding lawn & get the liner up over that. This should stop the mud as well as (hopefully) keep excess rain water from getting down under the edge of the liner.

 

[j.w]

I agree build a hill, berm, mound all away around your whole pond to stop water running into your pond and I also see what looks like a big bulge of liner rising up as @BKHpondcritters noticed also. Is this true, is your liner bulging up there in that photo? If so you have two problems. Water under and water coming over your rocked edge.

I built mine w/a berm of dirt up several inches high to stop any of this from happening. You don't have to build it up as high as I did tho. I just liked the look and could plant lots of plants around there beyond where the liner ends. The liner only goes up to the top, not all the way over to the ground.

 

[herzog.drew]

DOES the water get under the liner? From what I can see, your edge is built completely wrong.

@addy1 - can you share your drawing that illustrates how to bring the liner up behind the rocks?

Yeah, water 100% gets underneath. I have to take my sump pump to it all the time.

 

[herzog.drew]

I agree build a hill, berm, mound all away around your whole pond to stop water running into your pond and I also see what looks like a big bulge of liner rising up as @BKHpondcritters noticed also. Is this true, is your liner bulging up there in that photo? If so you have two problems. Water under and water coming over your rocked edge.

I built mine w/a berm of dirt up several inches high to stop any of this from happening. You don't have to build it up as high as I did tho. I just liked the look and could plant lots of plants around there beyond where the liner ends. The liner only goes up to the top, not all the way over to the ground.

View attachment 149697

View attachment 149698

View attachment 149699

Yup, that part in the picture is indeed a bulge of water.

 

[herzog.drew]

I'm going to agree that your too low edge is causing both the problems. In the first picture, I'm seeing the dreaded 'hippo' on the left side, correct? Does your pond have any sort of overflow pipe or planned area? It doesn't appear to, and when it gets full it seems to simply be right at ground level, hence the mud flowing in. You definitely need to remove those edge rocks, build the ground up a few inches higher than the surrounding lawn & get the liner up over that. This should stop the mud as well as (hopefully) keep excess rain water from getting down under the edge of the liner.

I do not have any kind of overflow. I’m either an idiot or just not envisioning what people are saying; where should an overflow be? At the top edge of the pond? At the bottom of the pipe? Is it essentially just a French drain system?

 

[herzog.drew]

I’m sure I sound really dumb here, but I just don’t understand how affecting the height of the pond will change what goes under the pond. If there’s water underneath, wouldn’t I need to change something from underneath?

I’m not trying to doubt you guys, I’m just really confused, that’s all.

 

[Jhn]

I’m sure I sound really dumb here, but I just don’t understand how affecting the height of the pond will change what goes under the pond. If there’s water underneath, wouldn’t I need to change something from underneath?

I’m not trying to doubt you guys, I’m just really confused, that’s all.

Raising the pond edge, prevents muddy water from running into the pond during rains. Directing an overflow, be it a pipe or an overlapped piece of liner covered in river cobble to look like a stream running away from the pond, will keep the pond from filling up with water and dumping the water right next to the pond. This will help prevent a water hippo.

The other way to do this is dig down next to the pond create a gravel dry well per de then add a vertical pipe to let the water take the path of least resistance the pipe.
The issue with this is if the area you have built the pond in is the lowest point in the yard and routinely floods out, then the pipe will be ineffective as will redirecting the overflow water away.

ideally you need to build Up the area surrounding the pond and a decent distance away from the pond so water can’t flood out right around the pond area.

 

[herzog.drew]

Raising the pond edge, prevents muddy water from running into the pond during rains. Directing an overflow, be it a pipe or an overlapped piece of liner covered in river cobble to look like a stream running away from the pond, will keep the pond from filling up with water and dumping the water right next to the pond. This will help prevent a water hippo.

The other way to do this is dig down next to the pond create a gravel dry well per de then add a vertical pipe to let the water take the path of least resistance the pipe.
The issue with this is if the area you have built the pond in is the lowest point in the yard and routinely floods out, then the pipe will be ineffective as will redirecting the overflow water away.

ideally you need to build Up the area surrounding the pond and a decent distance away from the pond so water can’t flood out right around the pond area.

Okay, I have extra dirt from a bit of gardening I did recently, so I can build up a berm sometime this weekend.

You mentioned the overflow with cobble covering liner, how deep should that be? And I assume that should be right next to the edge of the pond?

I appreciate the help a lot.