When it comes to pond water loss, there are probably about 9 reasons why this is happening.
First is evaporation, responsible for at least 1-2 inches a week.
If you are losing more than this, it could indicate some sort of leak in your pond or pond equipment.
So read on to learn more!
1. Evaporation
So how do you deal with evaporation (which is completely a natural occurrence)?
Well while you can’t prevent evaporation entirely, you can use a few different methods to slow it down.
This includes putting shade over your pond, whether it be a tarp, a canopy, or anything to provide a little covering from the sun!
If you are still considering putting in a pond, and you’re nervous about evaporation in the future, you could consider putting it where it gets some shading.
Under a tree or an overhang of a roof is great!
If you’re simply not sure what would provide enough shade for your pond, you may not have to worry.
Example: A good amount of water loss from a pond, can be replaced with rainfall (you may need to use one if you live in somewhere very warm and it rains very little).
2. Splashes
Another significant contributor to pond spillover is wildlife activity or rain and wind.
Like the previous two causes, there is a point to which this can be managed, but you can also increase the height of the pond portion above grade, to assist with these events!
3. Plants
Plants are probably one of the last things you would expect to dry out your pond.
That being said, they are one of the primary reasons; after all, most plants need lots of water!
Plants can be healthy and attractive in ponds, but you want to make sure they are not too abundant.
They could counteract this; and in fact, with enough plant abundance, your pond will dry right out!
If you think that an abundance of plants could be a reason for your pond drying out, you may want to do some pruning/removal of plants (though you can always choose to keep the plants you want to keep, and the healthy beneficial plants)!
4. Wildlife
If there are any wildlife animals in the pond, that is the next biggest reason why the water evaporates.
Animals get thirsty especially pond critters, who are dependent on the water!
If you think your wildlife is causing the water to drop a little quicker, then:
- You might consider rehoming some of the wildlife
- and/or, adding a pump to add some more water!
5. Rips, Tears, and Cracks in the Liner
If none of these are the cause of your pond losing water, you may have rips, tears, or cracks in the liner.
These can sometimes occur accidentally, by objects (like decor), or by pond wildlife. In some cases, pond equipment may even scrape across the bottom where the liner is present, breaking the water-tight seal.
If you suspect that there may be rips, tears, or cracks in the pond liner you will certainly want to repair the liner!
Best Practice: To repair an existing liner all you need to do is either repair the liner with a reliable form of tape, or replace the liner!
6. Pond Edges Are Too Low
Water loss in the pond can also happen when the edges of the pond are too low.
If you don’t want to put in too much work, you can also just raise the sides so it doesn’t lose as much water.
This simply can be done by raising the liner or adding to the liner, then laying the liner down, with the sides raised, with a concrete or wood border!
7. Too Much Sunlight
A loss of water in the pond can sometimes simply be because your pond is in direct sunlight for a long period of time.
If you aren’t particularly fond of the idea of a tarp or canopy, you could also consider placing some water-covering plants.
These will provide a natural shade over the water!
Here are some of the best aquatic plants for water cover listed below:
- Water Lilies
- Pickerel
- Horsetail
- Mosaic Plant
- Water Lettuce
- Taro
- Blue Iris
- Creeping Jenny
8. Unusually Low Humidity
When the air is extremely dry, the pond will also have difficulty holding the humidity.
Unfortunately, you can’t control this directly – the best thing you can do is just put a good, old-fashioned pond cover on.
In low humidity, you want to cover your pond now more than ever! This will help keep your pond nice and full, helping the tank to look nice for you and stay nice and full for the wildlife to survive.
The best pond cover is natural, i.e. plants, but a cover or canopy will work too!
9. Low Levels of Rainfall
At times, the land may also receive distressingly low amounts of rainfall.
This means that, as water may naturally evaporate (most of the time even more), you should also find different ways to restore the water!
Always Recognize a Good Idea: The best is to use a water pump, which will keep the water from falling below an acceptable level. This should serve until rain returns!
Final Thoughts
So as shown, it’s fairly common, and it’s preventable.
All you need to do is seal up any holes in the liner, replace the old liner, or just add more covering on the pond! Good luck!