How Much Water Have We Lost?

[@51zebra]

You should put a flag stake at all of the spots you seeking signs of leakage too. This will also help in monitoring improvement and also will show if any new spots show up. I enjoy all of your videos. Thanks

[@OneEyeCustoms]

Great idea!

[@jimwiskus8862]

Yes agreed! Those spots should dry up. If they do you got it nailed.

[@ducky1496]

Good luck Adam!! You have cured me from ever wanting a pond!!😂😂🤣

[@andrewsamanthamadison3320]

Doug’s narrating is the best! Snotty hands Adam! 🤞 that this fixes your pond issue!

[@jnorman1986]

Well dam! 😳 I'm glad there is an alternate solution to fixing the dam pond 😏😉😎👍

[@j.walker3498]

With the spring flowing it should start filling now.

[@flyinhighaerial3193]

Good luck Adam, following closely as I have a pond underway. two thumbs up.

[@blackmamba3427]

Awesome video. Hope the problem will be fixed soon.

[@davidmatznick778]

So sorry for your issues all the time and money invested. We will be praying that that products works for you.

[@HamiltonvilleFarm]

Looking forward to seeing it work!

[@stevehennessy3588]

I've got an old pond that is not leaking, but in Texas with no rain, the water evaporates quickly. Was down almost 3 feet from early last summer, but with one good rain, it's back up 18 inches. I've got fish in the pond, so was very worried I would lose them if we didn't get some rain. Feeling much better now, but still need another 18 inches before summer. Best of luck with the snot!

[@rickvaughan8993]

@ Steve Hennesssy I Highly recommend adding aeration to your pond. I have a 1/2-acre pond built in 1992. The summer of 2020 I added aerators from Peak o2 pond aeration. The pond now looks awesome. And less worry during droughts and low water levels. I assume the aerators keep the water oxygen level up for the fish. Also, my pond drops 2-3 foot every summer. And knock-on wood. Never have had any fish die from low water. The aerators also make the muck in the bottom decompose quickly. Same idea as a septic tank aerator. Which the peak o2 pump I have is near identical to my septic aerator pump. They are designed to run 24/7.

[@jimwiskus8862]

Great product Adam! I am glad you got a little on the shore. When it rains hopefully it will wash it to where it needs to go. Great job! All the best to you & yours!

[@foreverbrownsfan]

I can see why you wouldn’t want to wash up in the sink.😉 Really pulling for the ‘DamIt’ to work!

[@speedy4829]

How disappointing after all that work Adam. Can’t wait to see the finished, full pond

[@HometownAcres]

We’ve come too far now to give up. We will make it happen

[@haroldphipps3457]

@@HometownAcres the most impressive thing on this video is your positive attitude! I'm pretty sure I would be grumpy for days. I admire your spirit !

[@cattigereyes1]

Interesting, so what I am hearing is before the finish add some type of sealant to start with to prevent this from happening at the start and for peace of mind on the finial construction of the pound. Still recommend a wind powered aeration system.

[@ralpharvin2668]

What kind of wind powered system are you using?

[@EDFM.1]

Good lord. More pond drama! Gotta stay subscribed just to rubberneck at this continual multi-car pile up!! 🤣 When you went around and showed all the leaks…. Wow. That’s a lot of leaks. Crazy. I hope for your sake the DAMIT works!!

[@HometownAcres]

As always, love the positivity in your comments. I can tell you’re really rooting for us 🤣

[@EDFM.1]

@@HometownAcres Well, I’m still watching the channel!! And when this one popped up I really couldn’t wait to watch it!!

[@aledgriffiths9159]

Hi years ago in Wales if there was a pond leaking they used to wash sheep in the ponds and the wool wold seep in to the leaks and sort it out you need wool !!

[@clamp99]

I hope that fixes your leak! The pond looks great!

[@rongollonik7754]

My GrandPappy didn't say much, but often said "Do it right or do it twice". I am not a pond builder and I am not a construction worker. All my 'pond building knowledge' and I use that phrase lightly comes from watching Chris on LetsDig18. I came to your channel only recently and saw a bit on your pond dam construction and several times thought 'That's not what Chris would do'. Now you are trying to fix a problem that should not have occurred and you found a 'cure' that someone else had luck with. Rather than use that product you found a cheaper easier to use product. I hope it works. I would be reluctant to allow my kids in a pond in which 15 gallons of slimy gunk was spread. Again, I hope it works, but if not you may have to tear down the whole dam and do it right. Don't try to fix sections because you will never get them all, the work is harder to do in sections, and the result will not be as good. What is downstream if the dam fails? At times like this I remember GrandPappy saying "Hey kid, grab me another Pabst.

[@lastone8896]

Ron your grandpappy sounds like a good ole boy cool dude we all need one in our lives the world would be a much better place ✌️🤙

[@JussiW11]

I had very much same thoughts, i've watched tons of Chris' videos. His pond building and fixing skills are awesome. I think some day this dam is gonna bust out badly, that slime is not gonna solve this, I'm afraid.

[@tylerashworth7931]

Hope that turns out to be a good solution. Thanks for another good video.

[@Brad5050]

Adam I love your videos man. We are going to be building a pond in a few months. Seeing everything you are doing helps me plan. Not everything works out perfect, but you do a great job of not letting things get the best of you and finding a solution. As we embark on our pond build I appreciate you taking time on the not so perfect things, because this could also happen to us. Keep up the content man, I’m so glad I found your channel. I also love Doug. He seems to have a ton of knowledge and a great attitude. You are a great combo!

[@tonygough8713]

Good luck with your pond fix.

[@henrymorgan3982]

First time I ever heard of this type of product. Good luck!

[@TakeNoneForTheTeam]

Sorry for the leak. Thanks for showing this process though!

[@SixEightLiftsWeight]

After watching you get covered in dust, i’m pretty sure you could think a happy thought and fly to Neverland.

[@richardshumate7257]

Enjoyed watching

[@TCIAdventures]

We had a leak in our pond and was going to try this same product. At one point in August, we lost 20 inches of water in our new pond. I was able to pump water from another near by pond to keep the freshly compacted dirt wet, after weeks of pumping, every chance I had, it started holding water! We were very upset to say the least when the pond was almost full then started draining so I understand what you're going through, I hope this works and you never need to look back on leak problems!

[@kevinbrewer2141]

15 to 20 years ago we used something like that in a sacks. It was a greenish color. The Sportsman club pond is still doing good.

[@karenlewis5666]

You may have run into a vein of porous material when excavating as 2.5 feet of loss seems more than those seepage damp spots on the back side of the dam. Check way down away from your dam down by the blueberries you may find more water! Ponds rise and fall, no worries. Dennis, Welches pond Oregon

[@markbouchard525]

I’ve done research on this product in the past and I believe it will work perfectly well for your issue. From what I found it had a lifespan of 5-6 years before it starts to change / transition to water and carbon dioxide as it breaks down. By then your soil/clay will have compacted naturally to seal the leaks. Thanks for the content !

[@brianfletcher7942]

Sure hope you get your leaky holes fixed. Good video.

[@dougackerman4182]

Excellent video

[@tomfillmore9710]

well I hope that works for you bud after all your hard work fingers crossed take care good luck

[@EverythingElliott]

Make sure we get an update on this! I have a similar issue and would be interested in trying this rather than digging up my dam

[@PurpleCollarLife]

Very interesting. I had no idea there was such a product.

[@robertsnyder5193]

Sploosh!!! Blessings brother

[@markswanson5027]

Try using gypsum, I used damit and it helped but alot of it eventually floats to the top and it gets kinda ugly. I added gypsum ( really cheap at garden stores ) about 10 lbs per 15000 gallons and it really helped and it also clarifies the water

[@marctompkins3001]

That fabric roll that you layed down before filling the water in the pond. Maybe it should have been two or three layers thick. I’m just guessing here. Keep us posted.

[@martybertrand5119]

Following this. Hope it works. I have the same problem with my pond

[@ModernCountryLiving]

That's a frustrating issue Adam. You may be dealing with a couple loss issues. 1.) Through the disturbed earthen areas of dam that you built. Even with compaction the soil type or mixture may not be offering the sealing properties. 2.) Through the bottom of the pond. Do you recall if you hit any gravel base or otherwise as you excavated? A seam of gravel right below could be a loss area. I hope the polymer mix works. I helped put bentonite in a pond once. It did the job...but it was done when it was dry (spread and tilled in). It also required a LOT of material. Good luck! It's a nice looking pond.

[@nealtubbs9608]

I’m sorry to hear about the water seeping out. It looks like that stuff will really seal it up though. Fingers crossed.

[@jameshalliday412]

Great video. Thanks for keeping us posted with all the successes and failures. If you’re worried about leakage further up the dam wall, you could try spreading that stuff on the dry land and, as the water level increases, it’ll activate and find the holes as it fills. That way you should get a pretty even distribution. My 2 cents. Keep up the great work.👍 PS I’m in agreement with many of these posts about a mask and eye protection while applying it. Lungs are wet and that stuff would be brutal expanding and becoming sticky in your chest. No toxic doesn’t mean it can’t kill ya! A bullet can be non toxic too! 🤣

[@terrypomatto907]

That looks like a good plan and I really think that it is a better product than Bama pond build job. I just hope that you have very good luck with the product. The idea of only using one product versus having to product that requires two items to be blended.

[@kenthorsen4558]

I know in our area they use bentonite to seal leaking ponds and sealing old wells. Sounds about the same results. Hopefully this will help.

[@OneEyeCustoms]

I like the idea someone else commented here. Flag the wet spots on the back side and see if the go away or if more show up. Great way to tell if it is working! I also think evaporation could be a major contributor, your wet spots really are not running water but you do have standing water down lower in the swampy area which would indicate it is leaking at the bottom… either way, keep data on it and it will help solve the problems. Hope it all eventually works out for you!

[@cgsoutdoors_professor3883]

Tough luck with the leak; hopefully that product will work

[@bnewton5922]

Sorry to see the water seepage in the new pond. Hope this product works. Good luck

[@coreyriley7160]

Hey Adam, best of luck with the snot ! Looks really interesting and I hope it works !

[@jacknevitt7384]

That stuff is fascinating! If it works for you, and I really hope it does, it will be a tremendous money and time saver! It looked like ice on the water.

[@JustinTen8]

Hopefully this works for your pond. I truly enjoy your channel and pray for your success.

[@paulprigge1209]

Pray he will start listening to The professionals. It would be time well spent as well as money well spent. Right now he is throwing darts in the dark. Not trying to be negative. Hoping for the best.

[@TCsOutdoors1]

Hey Adam, bummer about the pond leak sorry to hear about it. Hopefully the product you're using work for ya.

[@dukeman7595]

Did you disc in 'Bentonite' before filling the pond? Always a good idea to do so, it will help seal any potential leaks..

[@mrandrewdennis1]

Sorry to hear about your bad luck did they dig test holes and Let them fill up with water?

[@OldIronAcres]

Maybe load up a sono-tube with tanerite, Dump in a bucket of the powder on top, and use a cannon technique to make a cloud/dusting over the pond.... Mark Rober style -- LOL

[@darthgbc363]

Looks like Jar Jar Binks had a party with a bunch of Gungans in your pond. LOL

[@alanmagee1207]

GOOD LUCK.

[@digger_jon2778]

I really want to see a update on this.

[@rpsp65]

I would suggest looking at Bentonite first. Oil field supply companies will carry it just shovel the powder out into the pond surface and it is drawn to the seepage location and will plug it.

[@davesmathers1990]

Hey Adam if that doesn't work how about a vibrating Roller around the top of the pond. Good luck

[@dereksellars]

Good luck!! I sure hope that works for you

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

The struggle is real....we are experiencing something very similar. We were considering SoilFloc, but this week, we found Damit (apparently you did too) and we're going to put 10 pails on order. It will be interesting to see our results and yours. We will be watching. B&D

[@AdamsMom921]

Another viewer strongly recommended using a respirator during the distribution of the powder… Can you even imagine that goo in your lungs! Easily could be a life ending event!!! So be sure to stay safe when you spread yours…. And good luck!!!

[@PineyGroveHomestead]

@@AdamsMom921 Shalex has their own YT channel and several videos and they don't use any PPE. Alabama Bass wore full bio-chemical suit! We've got boxes of N95s to use and probably wear goggles too. We'll probably use a jon boat and an electric spreader but waiting for rains to get our leaky pond a little fuller first!!

[@Johnthelittlebuilder]

Damit is a great product… highly recommend. Have about a 4 acre pond and fixed a large leak a few years ago… hasn’t leaked since. Bentonite clay also has worked extremely well

[@ralpharvin2668]

I had my small pond dug out from flat ground in my field. I needed some fill dirt and top soil anyway so I hired the dozer guy to go ahead and build a pond. about 18 inches down he began to dig up those orange clay tiles that a previous owner had put in many years before to help with drainage. Even after getting as much of them out as we could, eventually when the pond filled up it developed seep tunnels that found their way to tile lines that were elsewhere. Even though the pond stays full in wet weather, it will eventually leak down to the depth of those tiles. I would probably use something like Dam-it but it would probably kill the fish that the grandkids like to catch.

[@CoachJoshsteel]

Bummer. Been there. You are gonna need a box blade and a sheepsfoot roller. They didn't do the lifts for the dam properly. Starting at the toe and working up to the top, terrace and compact, terrace and compact. then down the inside of the dam as far as you can. By then you should be able to determine if you are bottom leaking. Bentonite clay, I would think six totes, two in the bottom and the rest up the inside face. I would keep the terraces in the backside for the next five years- they will help you chase the leaks. Seem a shame you would need it with such awesome material, but GCL on the dam would fit it too.

[@TedMinnesota]

I'll be impressed if that stuff works. I've been building floodable duck hunting impoundments and have learned first hand how tough it is to get dams/berms to seal. It's not easy. Hope this works for you!

[@montshojahi2961]

In retrospect do you think it a good idea to cover the base of the pond in that stuff before filling it with water?

[@someguy-k2h]

I was thinking the same thing. Buy 10 buckets of the stuff and put 5 down then the last layer of soil. Save the other 5 for when the thing is full, if needed.

[@austinbjorge5771]

There’s a product called pond seal. Made in the use. Bentonite based polymer, super easy like that if your stuff doesn’t work this stuff will. It’s designed for the drilling industry to seal off water

[@jayham1970]

The only thing that I know that you might have done different is if (when digging the pond) you had lined the bottom with some visqueen plastic, carefully backfilled over that , and tried to let it fill. That would have been a lot of plastic, but the best ponds that I have also seen (for holding water had the muckiest bottoms that could be found. Cows and pigs (creating mud by rooting around and stomping) create the best “pond sealing” that I have ever seen. Just a thought. We had ponds on our place that only saw spring rains, and a herd of cows could get in there, stomp around, create a muddy bottom, and those ponds would hold water in the driest summers (even with evaporation).

[@westtexasprepper]

I know from the pool business, not uncommon to lose up to an inch a day, especially if windy. Being as exposed as the pond is, I bet most is to evaporation., small leaks do not help either.

[@HilderbrandOutdoors]

That’s frustrating but you will get it figured out.

[@jayham1970]

Another possibility is lining the bottom with bentonite clay (if you could find it in large sums at a reasonable price). Building a pond and getting it to hold water is a work in process. Don’t give up.

[@tomboysen7592]

Maybe research putting bentonite in pond I think it will stop leak. You would need to check how to apply it when water is in pond. They use to stop leaks in stock dams i think they put in sewage lagoons also. Tom from Nebraska

[@Sqwan2]

I started your build series today and when I saw the first video I tought: "Oh shit, this will leak". And I am afreight, you are not done yet. Most likely a liner would have been your best bet. You probably would have got it for the cost of fixing your drainage and "damit". Also the day will come where you would like to drain your pond completely and now this is not possible. Anyways, this is a nice project, you earned your thumbs up and I wish you all the best for your project.

[@OntarioFirewoodResource]

Losing all that water would tick me off!

[@Alan_Hans__]

I'd never heard of this product. As an Aussie who sends a lot of stuff to the US you're quite fortunate to have gotten the delivery in about 2 weeks. Not that long ago the mail system was such a mess due to no flights that sometimes express deliveries to the US were sitting in Aus for up to a month waiting for a flight. Non express ones went out as much as 6 weeks.

[@bsicher]

Shalex has 2 locations they ship from in the US. I believe Tennessee and Utah. Cost me about $30 for an international call to find that out....

[@Cumberlandprepper1]

Good luck 👍🏻

[@Minneshowta]

Bentonite Clay is the answer and is commonly used in the United States for sealing ponds for livestock use and for sealing around well casings to keep contaminants out.

[@briangibson6754]

I know your pain the pond on FOB leaks we need to replace the dam but as a Non-profit we don't have the funds

[@jc7654]

to see how much evaporation you are experiencing in your area place a large bucket or tin in a suny position away from pets and fill it with water. this way you can compare the sealed tin with the dam . you will be surprised at how much evaporation you get per day/week. i would think that you are looking at an inch at least per day. where i live i loose about 2 inches a day in summer

[@OneEyeCustoms]

@hometown acres, this is a good experiment. Even though it rains more than sun, so I’m guessing it isn’t an inch a day. But on sunny days it might be more than an inch.

[@HometownAcres]

Think I might get the kiddie pool out since it’s the same shape as the pond haha

[@ian3580]

Agreed. The evaporation with low humidy and wind can be quite a bit. Be sure whatever container you use is filled enough that the breeze impacts it the same way it does the point (so not 2" of water in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket). Even without sun under these conditions evaporation can be huge. This evaporation loss is why I went long-game on when the pond would actually be full.

[@jc7654]

@@HometownAcres the pool would work and the rain adds to the pond as it would the pool so it will still show you the amount of evaporation

[@jc7654]

as long as the pool don't leak

[@toddfraisure1747]

That's some impressive stuff if it works. It would have been cool to put an electric trolling motor on your kayak to mix it all up, but I think it looks to be saturated enough.

[@jakehill322]

Like the saying goes if it’s worth doing, do it right the first time.

[@johnmitchell2094]

You need Letsdig18 or Dirt Perfect, they specialise in dams!

[@jlcollar2414]

You should mark the wet spots with paint so you will know if they dry up or not.

[@mos9738]

good proper clay is the only solution, rice paaddy fields in asia are clay and have no water loss.when i lived in the north of iran i had a commercial fish farm. the ponds were clay and had no problems with seppaege. you will need at least 30 centermeters deep good clay to cover the whole pond. wish you success.

[@LuckyOutdoorLiving]

Not being the bearer of Bad News, but we have used that Damit Product and "Yes" it might show positive results for a few weeks, eventually it will fold and not hold. Another option we used was Sodium Bentonite, which basically does the same thing, it expands when it gets wet. We have had 2 ponds dug and both will not fill up past a foot or 2 and we also live in PA and our soil or dirt looks exactly like yours does. Hate to say it, but I highly doubt that pond will ever fill up. I will only become an eyesore over time like ours have done. Before having built it, the people should have known the soil consistency and its odds of holding or filling based on your feed, I do not see a huge feed into it, which also makes me believe the seepage will always far out weight the inflow and basically you will stay at the below ground water level as you currently have been at. When we get a bunch of rain our ponds will raise up, but they will go back down in a few days. Very frustrating,,,

[@rustysparks8645]

Another KZbin production brought to you by Adam 'Aquaman' (the web fingers was the giveaway) and 'Dynamic' Doug. 🤣🤣

[@mikeadams2339]

Hopefully the damsnot werkz!

[@mattcrowell7945]

I hope that stuff works but. That dam was not properly compacted at the beginning so it will likely develop more seep holes as it settles. Those seep holes can make the dam unstable and create a dangerous situation if the dam give out.

[@kingwood4357]

Bummer, I hope the product works and fixes the pond leak.

[@JohnSmith-tv5ep]

ADAM, I'm sure over time the dam breast will settle even more with rain fall compacting that clay even more, should stop that weeping. Keep your head up.

[@jyienger]

I would think you'd focus on where there is water, assuming the leaks are there since if it draws below the leak level it would stop?

[@matthewkish7839]

I love your video

[@gregyoung3998]

Seeing how the spreader covered both water and dirt fairly easy and evenly (from my armchair quarterback position anyways), it seems that putting this down prior to filling the pond might work?

[@PCLye]

Do you think after a few years...it has to be done again? Especially if you net fishing

[@IndyFarmLife]

No bueno! Our water level came up high enough to start engaging our overflow. I found that we were losing water that way, so I plugged the overflow. ha Video to come. Hope that stuff works. Reworking that dam would be expensive, but it would also mean you have machinery in your front yard again. :)

[@393Nader]

Instructions on the Damit says it will break down to water and CO2 over time. So that means recurring leaks unless you keep retreating?

[@squidster13440]

can you put Damit out before any water goes into the pond?

[@doogiek13]

It's a beautiful pond but it seems like it has become a money and time sink. I hope this does it.

[@johnhart5557]

Damit has good track record.

[@davidmcouch7453]

You have too much gravel you need solid red clay dirt to seal it up.

[@danielr1615]

Why isn’t the company that built the pond responsible to fix the leak? Sorry if I missed the answer to this question. I am a new subscriber.

[@MrNichols747]

Man, you better scrub your boat and boots and everything…. I used Damit and it worked well but my shoes and jeans turned into a goopy mess! 😂