While there’s no question that it’s possible to completely line a pond with a geomembrane, many landowners and project managers assume it would be unfeasible to do so for a larger lake. Manufacturers, like BTL Liners can produce custom fabricated liners with minimal seams even when you’re covering multiple acres. Their expert team members can assist in the installation process as well. No matter how the liner is installed, it’s a valuable addition that can extend the lifespan of the lake and reduce maintenance requirements.
The Value of Liners
Lining a lake, whether it’s with clay, bentonite, concrete, geomembranes, or a combination of them, offers a wide range of benefits. First, lined lakes lose far less water than unlined designs. Seepage is a major cause of water loss because even clay-dominant soils are full of pores that slowly let water drip and leak through the gaps. Compaction with machinery or even livestock can only close those pores to a certain extent. Clay and bentonite layers further reduce seepage, but as successfully as an impermeable flexible liner. Materials like RPE offer the most seepage protection.
Second, liners also control contamination in both directions. Water traveling in from the soil can carry along heavy metals, chemicals, and minerals that are harmful to the fish or plants living in the lake. If the man-made lake was designed as a holding or processing area for contaminated wastewater, you don’t want that seeping and leaking out either. Impermeable liners give you the most control over what water enters and exits the lake.
Third, liners also control erosion and make dredging easier. The dredging team has a clear indicator of when they’ve removed all the muck and organic material by working down to the liner level. By running the liner up and over the sides of the banks and shores, only surface soil can be lost to wake and wind erosion.
Lining the Banks
Even if you plan to pour concrete or install rip rap and gravel over the banks of an industrial lake, it’s best to stretch a layer of geomembrane liner over the surface as well. None of the other cover materials commonly used for erosion control on lake banks are completely impermeable. They can reduce the amount of water reaching the soil below the rip rap or concrete, eliminating erosion as much as possible. Flexible liners also serve as a secondary form of protection if a severe storm knocks rock cover loose from the banks or an earthquake fractures concrete.
Custom Fabrication
While it’s perfectly possible to buy flexible liners in pre-cut rolls and seal the seams between sections on site, you should check out your options for custom fabrication first. Some manufacturers of lake liners, including BTL Liners, offer advanced options for sizing extra-large liners in their facilities. This allows you to install large sections to drastically reduce installation time, labor costs and liner longevity.
