Concerning the issue of evaporation and water loss, each pond is unique. You will have to determine what is normal for your pond.
There are certain factors that affect the evaporation rate:
One of the most obvious is the amount of “splash” from your waterfalls. The higher and wider the waterfalls the more potential for water exposure to heat and wind. On windy days it is not unusual to experience anywhere from 1” – 4” of water loss just from the wind whipping your water right out of the system. Safeguards are taken to try to keep all the water in the system but wind can still play an uncontrollable factor. Normal rate of splash should stay contained in your system. If you think water is splashing out the best way is to take cardboard and place on the outer edges to see where your splash is going. Many times by shifting a rock or placing a small rock on a larger rock you are able to change the direction and amount of the splash.
Smaller ponds will seem to lose more water than larger ponds. If you determine the ratio of loss to volume of water in many cases it will be the same as a large pond.
As your aquatic plants mature and you add more plants this Spring you may notice your water level dropping even quicker than before. Aquatic plants absorb and get most of their nutrients from the water. If you bring live tropical’s into the house for the winter you will have already had firsthand experience of how much water they absorb; you will find you have to add water at least once a week. You can experiment by putting one of your marginals in a holeless pot and set it outside the pond. Watch how fast the plant absorbs the water and you will have a better concept of this phenomena.
Overfilling is a fast way to lose water quickly. Each pond has its own established water level. With a desire for “more” water sometimes we have the tendency to overfill to a desired level only to see the ponds water level drop right back down. In this case, the only way to establish “more” water would be to literally rebuild your pond’s edges higher to raise and maintain that desired new water level.
Last is the dreaded “leak.” First off, keep in mind that 99.9% of leaks are in the waterfall and stream areas. The first step to finding a leak is to simply turn off your waterfall and establish the water level of the pond. Observe this for 24-48 hours. Most likely, with the waterfall off, your pond’s water level will remain real close to the same. Turn your waterfall back on; if the water level drops the same amount as you originally noticed within a day or two, you know that the leak is located in the waterfall/stream area. Turn the waterfall off again. Look for wet spots on the side of the waterfalls and stream area. If none are found start on one side of the stream, work up to waterfall and down the other side of the waterfall and stream. Carefully remove rocks, replacing them as you look for a spot where the berm has settled.
Summer Time and Evaporation
Heat of the summer. Dry, hot, arid summer atmosphere absorbs water into the air from any source it can get, including your pond’s surface.
Dry hot air zaps water right out of your feature.
Dry hot winds will whip the water out of the system.
Splashing water on the rock edges will immediately evaporate as it hits the hot rocks. Normally when it is cooler, at least a portion of the splash runs back into the system.
Replace water as needed on a weekly basis as necessary.
Once temperatures return to a more normal average range see how much evaporation you have and watch your water levels to determine if you really have sprung a leak.
-DS
If you do still think you suspect a leak, we offer services to help diagnose and fix the your leak here in the greater Kansas City area.
To learn more : https://swanswatergardens.com/services-louisburg-ks/