I had a small clay pond before. The problem I had was that the clay above the
waterline dried fast. That created cracks, leading to erosion and leaks.

Friends and guesses did not like that mud pond. They complained that they could
not see the fish. I loved that muddy water. However, I got rid of it because it
was in a bad location.

JNJ wrote:

We live on a relatively small lot (50' x 200') and I was thinking about
putting a pond in the back yard in a particularly squishy area. The
soil here is clay based and if you dig down far enough (not too far at all)
it's just nasty clay.

Other than lined ponds, I can't say as I know much about "natural" ponds,
i.e. those without a liner. I'm wondering if I can make one by essentially
digging a hole deep enough. I suppose I could then either concrete it or
put in a liner of course, but the thought of setting it up au natural
intrigues me.

Anyone done a small scale pond without a liner or have any references?

James