Build your own Pond!
When planning to build a
water garden, the first step is to decide which aspects of a pond you
want to emphasize. For instance, if your primary interest is a koi
pond, you should have a depth of close to three feet or more to
accommodate these large ornamental fish. Koi ponds also require more
sophisticated filtration. For goldfish, a depth of approximately 24"
is sufficient in areas with a moderate climate. Colder climates
require a depth a least a 12" to 16" greater than your freeze zone.
Most water gardeners prefer to accent with beautiful aquatic plants
such as water lilies. These ponds require a sufficient amount of
sunlight, usually a minimum of 4 - 6 hours, in order for the plants to
thrive (shade or partial shade is fine for fish and fountains).
Once you have decided the
type of pond you want to build, your water garden site should be
chosen. Keep in mind that most people will enjoy being able to view
their garden from the comfort of their home, especially in inclement
weather. Your pond will be the focal point in your garden and should
not be too small. The shape should blend in with the environment. A
natural shape should be chosen for an informal garden. The pond should
be situated away from rain run-off, which can carry fertilizers,
chemicals, and organic debris into the pond. If building on a level
site, raise the pond edges a few inches to keep out run-off. Run-off
contributes to algae and can be toxic to your fish. A slope is not a
problem as the lower side can be build up using the soil excavated or
if very steep block construction can be used to insure the integrity
of the built up portion.
DIGGING THE POND
1. Outline the shape of
the pond using a hose or rope.
2. Using a string and
string level or a carpenter’s level and a straight 2 x 4, determine
the water level for the pond. If raising one side of the pond with
excavated soil, be sure to tamp this thoroughly. Excavate the basic
shape down to 10" to 12", this will be the level for the
shelf for the shallow water plants. Excavate the perimeter coping
shelf to a depth of 2" to 4" depending on the thickness of
your coping which will edge the pond. This coping shelf should be as
wide as the stone that you intend to place on it. The coping will sit
partly in the water which will give a nicer appearance to the pond
edge. Dig the remainder of the pond to the desired depth with
different levels if desired. It is generally a good idea to make the
area for main viewing and feeding of the fish one of the deepest parts
of the pond. 
3. Line the excavation with underlayment
fabric.
4. Fill the pond with
water to within a few inches from the top and then make corrections if
necessary to make the pond level.
5. Now is the time to install your pump
and filter system depending on the system used.
6. Arrange the coping stone around the
edge of the pond and fold the liner up behind the stone to slightly
above the water level. Back fill to hold the liner against the stone
with soil. A small amount of mortar can be used to hold the liner
against the back of the coping and slightly above the liner edge
before back filling with soil. This will help keep small bits of soil
from working its way into the pond.
Another Method of Pond
Edging
Placing stones all the way
around a pond will only give a natural appearance when more stone is
used in the landscape. You may want to use another method on part of
the edging. The liner can be brought up and over a secure but narrow
edging such as brick or concrete and providing a shelf four or five
inches deep and 12" to 18" wide. This area will then be filled with
pea gravel going from over the liner and filling in the shallow shelf.
The gravel should slope gently into the water. Use plant material in
this area which will grow partly in the water and also cover the edge
of the soil providing a very natural looking edging.
Building Waterfalls
If you are using an
external filter system that the water is pumped into and it flows out
by gravity, this will serve as the beginning of your waterfall. Place
the filter on a secure footing and bring the waterfall liner up to the
filter and attach with tape. If using a separate piece of liner from
the pond it should overlap the pond liner by several inches. Choose a
wide and flat stone to go under the lip of the filter water outlet.
Stack stone to support this fall rock. This waterfall stone should be
level from side to side and slope slightly forward. Any stone that you
want the water to run over in the waterfall should be placed onto
expandable foam insulation that comes in a can and is available in
most hardware and building supply stores. This foam will stick the
stone to the liner and allow the water to run over instead of under
the stone. Any foam that is exposed can be covered with sand or small
gravel to camouflage. If you do not have a filter of this type run
plumbing to the waterfall area and connect to a larger diameter pipe
which will serve to reduce the water pressure and allow the water to
flow out of the pipe instead of spraying out with force and continue
with the instructions above.
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