When it comes to pond losing water, there are roughly 9 factors that could be responsible.
First and foremost is evaporation, which accounts for about 1-2 inches a week.
More than this, and your pond or pond equipment could have some sort of a leak.
Learn more below!
Table of Contents
1. Evaporation
So, how can you account for evaporation (as it’s a completely natural phenomenon)?
Well, while you can’t stop evaporation completely, it is possible to slow it down by employing a few methods.
This includes providing shade over the pond. This can be done with a tarp, or with a canopy; anything that can provide a bit of sun cover!
If you haven’t yet invested in a pond, and are wondering how to prevent evaporation in your future pond, consider keeping it in a shaded spot.
Under a tree or an overhang of the roof is ideal.
Finally, if you simply aren’t sure how to keep your pond shaded, you might not need to worry.
For Example: A great deal of pond water loss can be made up of rainfall (if you live somewhere that is very warm or gets very little rain, it’s probably a doubly good idea to employ a cover!).
2. Splashes
The next biggest cause of pond spillover is splashing on the behalf of wildlife, or due to windy weather!
This is also inevitable to a degree, but you can also raise the pond sides to help keep it in check!
3. Plants
Some of the last things you would expect to dry out your pond are the plants, most likely.
This being said, they are one of the main causes; after all, most plants require a generous amount of water!
While plants in ponds can be both healthy and beautiful, you’ll want to ensure that there aren’t too many.
These could have the opposite effect, and can instead, yes, cause the pond to lose water!
If you think that an excess of plants could be behind your pond losing water, you may wish to do a bit of pruning/plant removal (of course, your favorites, and any healthy and beneficial plants, should be leftover!
4. Wildlife
The next biggest cause of pond water evaporation is any pond wildlife you may have.
Animals get thirsty; especially pond critters, which are especially dependent on the water!
If you think the wildlife may be causing the water level to drop a little too swiftly, then:
- You may need to rehome a few of the wildlife.
- And/or incorporate a pump to replenish the water!
5. Rips, Tears, and Cracks in the Liner
If none of the above are to blame for your pond losing water, it’s very possible that you have rips, tears, or cracks in the liner.
These can be caused accidentally by objects (such as decor), or pond wildlife. Sometimes, pond equipment may even scrape the bottom, causing the liner to spring a leak!
If you think that your pond liner may have rips, tears, or cracks, then you will surely wish to fix up the liner.
Best Practice: All that you need to do is either heal the liner with a dependable kind of tape or replace the liner!
6. Pond Edges Are Too Low
Pond water loss can also occur when the pond edges are too low.
If you don’t want to go to too much effort, then you can always raise the sides of it so as not to lose so much water.
This can be done simply by raising or adding to the liner, and then going over it with a concrete or wood border!
7. Too Much Sunlight
Sometimes, your pond may be losing water simply because it gets a great deal of sunlight.
If you are not overly fond of the idea of a tarp or canopy, you can always plant some water-covering plants.
These will create a natural shade over the water!
Here are some of the best pond plants for providing water cover, listed below:
- Water Lilies
- Pickerel
- Horsetail
- Mosaic Plant
- Water Lettuce
- Taro
- Blue Iris
- Creeping Jenny
8. Unusually Low Humidity
If the air is too dry, the pond will also struggle to hold onto humidity.
Sadly, this can’t be addressed directly, but you can always employ a good, old-fashioned pond cover.
In low humidity, this is more important than ever! This will ensure that your pond stays nice and full, for both your enjoyment and for the wildlife to thrive in.
The best pond cover is all-natural, i.e. plants, but a cover or canopy will also do the trick!
9. Low Levels of Rainfall
Sometimes, the land may experience unusually low levels of rainfall.
This means that, while natural evaporation may occur (usually more than ever), it’s important to find multiple ways to replenish the water!
Always Good Idea: The best is to employ a water pump, which will make sure that the water doesn’t fall to an undesirable level. Until more rain comes, this should do the trick!
Final Thoughts
So, as you can see, your pond losing water is quite common, and avoidable.
All that you need to do is heal up any holes in the liner, replace the old liner, or simply provide more pond cover! Best of luck!
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