Gradual water loss is a silent killer of millions of pounds of fish per year. While it’s primarily a problem in aquaculture facilities, even fishing lakes can fall prey to a slow leak or seepage problem. You generally won’t notice the water loss until it’s already stressed or even potentially killed a number of the fish. No matter what kind of soil you have to work with, compaction alone is not enough to make a truly watertight lake. Only the use of a flexible and impermeable liner material, made from the right polymer, will guarantee steady water levels. Without a flexible liner, expect to spend a lot more than what’s necessary on keeping water levels and quality stable. Find out what makes flexible liners, in particular, the right choice for the job.
Why Isn’t Dirt Enough?
It’s a common misconception that natural lakes are simply bowls of dirt that hold water. Natural lakes and ponds only form where the soil conditions perfectly form a nearly watertight layer of compacted clay that fits tightly together. While it may sound like this is easy enough to do yourself, with careful soil testing and a little compaction during construction, it’s a lot harder than it seems. Many natural lakes only form after hundreds of years of settling sediment finally seal off any area. Other ponds and lakes suddenly drain after years of holding water because their fragile layers have been ruptured or shifted. For a fishing lake, designed to succeed because of the investment put into it, relying on dirt alone as a liner is simply too risky. The lake will continuously seep water out through the small particles that make up the soil.
The Problem with Bentonite Clay
Bentonite clay is often advertised as a natural and easy way to seal a lake; that can even be added after it’s filled with water. Unfortunately, it has far more downsides than benefits for a large-scale body of water. First, you need at least 12 full inches of the saturated clay material to create a seal. When trying to cover a lake even a quarter acre in size, that adds up to hundreds of pounds of clay pellets or powders to buy and try to evenly spread. The material is easily swept out of place during or after settling, creating leaks that are hard to find and fix. It’s simply not as affordable or as easy as marketed, and will only create a temporary reduction in water loss.
How Concrete Continues to Seep
Don’t assume that laying down a layer of freshly poured concrete will solve the problem of lake leaks either. Concrete is a powerful tool for reinforcing pond banks and sides, but it won’t serve as an impermeable layer all on its own. On a microscopic level, concrete actually forms tiny holes and tubes as it takes its final hardened form. Water slowly seeps through these openings and eventually leaks out of the other side, and that’s before dozens of inevitable cracks begin to form in the material. Pairing concrete with a flexible polymer liner is always a good idea to keep a fishing lake as watertight as possible.
The Power of Flexible Polymers
The biggest benefit of using a flexible polymer liner is the impermeability. As long as the liner is installed properly and has tightly sealed seams, very little water will manage to pass through it. You’ll only have to worry about evaporation once you can trust that there’s no seepage or leaking going on below. Unlike rigid lining materials, flexible polymer sheets conform to fit the exact curves of the excavated or embanked pond. Tiny variations in the surface won’t cause gaps that let water escape. Flexible liners also tend to be easy to seal on site as needed, although this varies depending on the material selected.
Don’t settle for sub-par liners when BTL Liners has all the high-quality products you need. While some liner materials aren’t fish-safe, we have products to fit every aquaculture project. Check out our liner products today or chat with one of our team members for personalized, fish safe, recommendations.
