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At our January meeting I delivered a presentation on my pond building experience in both words and pictures. I was asked to write-up the hi-lights of the actual planning and construction. There are many more subjects that deserve their own coverage. Watch for others to fill in some of the gaps in coming months.
Are you sure?
- Do you understand the work in construction?
- Do you understand the on-going maintenance?
- Do you have a good friend who will check on it when you're gone?
- Are you going to build it yourself or hire it done?
Now that you've decided to go forward
- Read books (much of what I point out here will be explained in the books)
- Go on water garden tours
- Consult experts
- Talk to people with ponds
Safety and legal issues
- Water attracts small children
- Check on local codes (fence heights for example may limit the depth)
- Check on your homeowner's insurance policy
Planning
- Develop a site plan (location, depth, shelves, etc.).
- Will you have a pump (requires plumbing and electrical)?
- Look for issues such as sun/shade, slope, natural water flow, trees, other structures, and future building plans
- Will it contain a stream and/or falls?
- Do you plan to have fish, plants?
- What will the edging/coping be?
- Are wild animals an issue?
- Start taking pictures before you dig and keep it up.
Construction Planning
- Lay it out with a garden hose.
- Move it around
- Look at it from all angles.
- Sleep on it for a few days - a year (BE SURE).
- Draw the final sketch.
- Are you going to do it yourself or hire it done?
- Lineup the builder, electrician, plumber, as required.
- Tools (straight edge, 4' level, wheel barrows, shovels).
- Don't underestimate the time to dig (double your first guess)
- Get the underlayment and liner.
- Figure the liner size - 2 times the depth, plus the width (at the widest point), plus 2 feet for mistakes.
Construction
- Pick a stretch of dry weather (get the liner in the hole before the next rain!!!!)
- Know where the dirt is going (don't move it more than once).
- Set your grade stakes.
- Dig out to the depth of the first shelf (normally 12 inches).
- Dig the next level or to the bottom of the pond (leave a 14 inch shelf).
- Check the hole with the level and straight edge often.
Placing the liner and underlayment
- Line all surfaces of the hole with the underlayment.
- Place the liner in the hole and check it carefully (move as needed).
- Adjust folds in the liner as you fill (face folds away from primary site lines).
Finally
- Wait 3-7 days before putting fish and plants in pond (chlorine from municipal supplies may kill them).
- Install pumps, filters, coping/edging.
Congratulations - you now have your own water feature!!!