Is it Pond Leak or Just Evaporation?
Many clients will ask, Gordon, “how much evaporation can occur in a water garden”? “Do I have a leak somewhere?” The client suspects that a leak is occurring. They are really hoping that, just maybe, it is merely evaporating fast.Â
Leaks Are Hard To Determine
Leaks in any type of water body can be tough to figure out. Not just to identify whether there is a leak, but also, how to find it. This is especially true when the leak is relatively slow. Most people fear that it could be a leak. However, they want desperately to believe that it is evaporation. So, that is the first question they ask. Water costs are rising continually. A leak, even a slow one, can create a lot of expense that can be avoided. These expenses can also include wasted pond chemicals, bacterial additions and algal blooms.
So how fast is evaporation? It depends of course. This is always the answer. It is especially true with a pond’s evaporation. How hot is it? How windy is it? What is the amount of pond surface area? How high and how fast is the water is being pumped and even the number of plants in the pond. The evaporation rate will increase with any one of these. When moisture is evaporated through plant leaves it is called transpiration. The end result is that water is still being lost from the pond at a faster rate than if there were no plants.
The Evaporation Rule of Thumb
Generally speaking a pond level drop of 1 in in 24 hours could be, possibly very fast evaporation rate. However, I would suspect a pond leak. This is especially if it was a cool, calm spring day without much plant growth in the pond yet. I do like to observe for a few days to make a determination as to whether the drop is consistent over the period. Of course, a rain received during this test period could confuse the issue.
Please feel free to contact me by E-mail at: gordonslandscapes@sbcglobal.net
Stay tuned for more interesting info on ponds. See you next time.
