Sink holes at edge of pond - Ask Extension
I have two sink holes forming at the edge of my pond. One is in a groomed area and the other is in cattail patch. In the groomed area I see what look...
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Sink holes at edge of pond #822023
Asked March 08, 2023, 6:48 PM EST
I have two sink holes forming at the edge of my pond. One is in a groomed area and the other is in cattail patch. In the groomed area I see what looks to be water movement. These holes started to form in the fall and is continuing through the winter. I see no unusual changes in pond water level.
Do you have any idea of what is going on and should I be concerned about it.
Thank you
Iosco County Michigan
Expert Response
Warren,
Thank you for using Michigan State Unviersity Extension Ask Extension with your pond question. I am not certain what is going on since it is late winter and most ponds are full of snow melt and excess water. This situation may calm down by summer. Cattails commonly grow as a float on the water creating islands or mats. Occassionally under heavy wind and wave conditions these mats can break apart and float away this may be what you are seeing in the cattails.
the other could simply be a flooded animal den or new outlet for the spring. this is also quite common in spring fed ponds and lakes. the water breaks through in a new location creating a "hole."
I suggest that you continue to monitor your pond for additional changes that may cause increased flooding conditions on your property.
Thank you for using Michigan State Unviersity Extension Ask Extension with your pond question. I am not certain what is going on since it is late winter and most ponds are full of snow melt and excess water. This situation may calm down by summer. Cattails commonly grow as a float on the water creating islands or mats. Occassionally under heavy wind and wave conditions these mats can break apart and float away this may be what you are seeing in the cattails.
the other could simply be a flooded animal den or new outlet for the spring. this is also quite common in spring fed ponds and lakes. the water breaks through in a new location creating a "hole."
I suggest that you continue to monitor your pond for additional changes that may cause increased flooding conditions on your property.
Thank you for your response .
In the cattail area the roots are solidly in the bottom of the pond and running up the bank so the cave in might be a den or a spring starting to form. In the groomed area there seems to be water flow out from the cave in. When the ice is gone I will set in some yarn telltails to confirm movement. This pond was man made by the previous owners maybe 30 years ago and was fed by ground water.
Can a spring or springs just spontaneously turn up where there there was none before?
Thank you.
a string to monitor flow direction is a great idea. Yes. new holes our outlets can form. In Michigan lakes and ponds are formed over clay deposits that were formed into depressions by chunks of melting glacial ice or between hilly deposits of glacial materials. Even manmade or dug ponds need a clay or plastic layer to hold the water.
I presume yours is not plastic where a new hole would have drained it. A hole can form ponds and lakes from all sorts of activities, animals, humans, and shifting soils. it is all the same water it just pushed enough on a weak spot to push through.
Does your pond drain to somewhere else? If so it is possible that your location the headwaters of a river or stream somewhere?
I presume yours is not plastic where a new hole would have drained it. A hole can form ponds and lakes from all sorts of activities, animals, humans, and shifting soils. it is all the same water it just pushed enough on a weak spot to push through.
Does your pond drain to somewhere else? If so it is possible that your location the headwaters of a river or stream somewhere?
