Re: Losing water through capillary action

[Sam Hopkins]

Normally around a rec pond there's clay under the dirt to make a water tight
seal and to stop water movement into the surrounding area. You might want to
pull the liner through the dirt at the top and put rocks on the top of the
liner to conceal. This would seperate the pond dirt from the earthen dirt.

"redtag" > wrote in message
news:1062577411.671448@sj-nntpcache-5...
> I have installed a new wildlife pond, about 4m x 6m. I have banked soil
> right the way into the pond as per most instructions for wildlife friendly
> ponds and it all looks good.
>
> However the way is now draining out of the pond due to capillary action
(or
> wicking, as it is sometimes called). Although I have a lovely area of wet
> soil all around my pond, I was hoping to keep some water inside the pond!
>
> Any idea on how to cut down this effect?
>
> Can I do something different with the liner to help prevent this? At the
> moment I have this:
>
> *****************soil
> water * * ------pond liner
> ***** /
> pond liner------- earth
>
> Any ideas?
>
>

[D Kat]

Bentonite? I don't quite get how the banked soil works and how your pond is
lined such that a berm (if I understand correctly what you are saying) would
pull the water out of the pond. How much are you losing/day?
http://www.pondseal.com/
"redtag" > wrote in message
news:1062577411.671448@sj-nntpcache-5...
> I have installed a new wildlife pond, about 4m x 6m. I have banked soil
> right the way into the pond as per most instructions for wildlife friendly
> ponds and it all looks good.
>
> However the way is now draining out of the pond due to capillary action
(or
> wicking, as it is sometimes called). Although I have a lovely area of wet
> soil all around my pond, I was hoping to keep some water inside the pond!
>
> Any idea on how to cut down this effect?
>
> Can I do something different with the liner to help prevent this? At the
> moment I have this:
>
> *****************soil
> water * * ------pond liner
> ***** /
> pond liner------- earth
>
> Any ideas?
>
>

[D Kat]

Bentonite? I don't quite get how the banked soil works and how your pond is
lined such that a berm (if I understand correctly what you are saying) would
pull the water out of the pond. How much are you losing/day?
http://www.pondseal.com/
"redtag" > wrote in message
news:1062577411.671448@sj-nntpcache-5...
> I have installed a new wildlife pond, about 4m x 6m. I have banked soil
> right the way into the pond as per most instructions for wildlife friendly
> ponds and it all looks good.
>
> However the way is now draining out of the pond due to capillary action
(or
> wicking, as it is sometimes called). Although I have a lovely area of wet
> soil all around my pond, I was hoping to keep some water inside the pond!
>
> Any idea on how to cut down this effect?
>
> Can I do something different with the liner to help prevent this? At the
> moment I have this:
>
> *****************soil
> water * * ------pond liner
> ***** /
> pond liner------- earth
>
> Any ideas?
>
>

[BenignVanilla]

"redtag" > wrote in message
news:1062577411.671448@sj-nntpcache-5...
> I have installed a new wildlife pond, about 4m x 6m. I have banked soil
> right the way into the pond as per most instructions for wildlife friendly
> ponds and it all looks good.
>
> However the way is now draining out of the pond due to capillary action
(or
> wicking, as it is sometimes called). Although I have a lovely area of wet
> soil all around my pond, I was hoping to keep some water inside the pond!
>
> Any idea on how to cut down this effect?
>
> Can I do something different with the liner to help prevent this? At the
> moment I have this:
>
> *****************soil
> water * * ------pond liner
> ***** /
> pond liner------- earth
>
> Any ideas?

I have the same design. On one rim of my pond it was worked nicely, and on
the other, I need to do some work. I placed very small (about the size of
your hand) pieces of slate on the liner, and then back filed on top of that.
I then tossed sod down on top of that. The sod has now taken root, and is
over growing into the pond. The rock is hidden, and keeps the water from
wicking as fast. I still have some loss, but nothing I am worried about.

BV.

[BenignVanilla]

"redtag" > wrote in message
news:1062577411.671448@sj-nntpcache-5...
> I have installed a new wildlife pond, about 4m x 6m. I have banked soil
> right the way into the pond as per most instructions for wildlife friendly
> ponds and it all looks good.
>
> However the way is now draining out of the pond due to capillary action
(or
> wicking, as it is sometimes called). Although I have a lovely area of wet
> soil all around my pond, I was hoping to keep some water inside the pond!
>
> Any idea on how to cut down this effect?
>
> Can I do something different with the liner to help prevent this? At the
> moment I have this:
>
> *****************soil
> water * * ------pond liner
> ***** /
> pond liner------- earth
>
> Any ideas?

I have the same design. On one rim of my pond it was worked nicely, and on
the other, I need to do some work. I placed very small (about the size of
your hand) pieces of slate on the liner, and then back filed on top of that.
I then tossed sod down on top of that. The sod has now taken root, and is
over growing into the pond. The rock is hidden, and keeps the water from
wicking as fast. I still have some loss, but nothing I am worried about.

BV.