Baltimore, MD Pond Newbie... middle of diggin...

[kristina]

Hi All,

So glad I found this forum!

I am brand new to ponding and eager to begin! My goal is to create a small 500ish gallon semi-formal/zen like pond in my back yard. My son is home from college and helping me dig out the pond 3ish wide x 2.5ish deep x 8ish long. It has been TOUGH going because we are digging through clay!!! Yikes, had to use a post hole pounder. I will try to post a picture. What to do with all that clay has also been a dilemma. We decided to just evenly distribute it along the backyard slope which is pretty much barren. In the fall I'll cover with mulch.
Anywhoooo, we are just about through digging and ready to lay down the liner. I have purchased 8 x 12 pavers for all along the edge. My dilemma is one length of the pond is against a slope. I hope you can see this in the photo. We plan to level the slope side with the front side and slightly angel back the slope side (maybe 1.5 ") so when rain water flows down from the slope it angles away from the pond’s lip. I guess I have to also create a run off to the side.

Suggestions are very welcome! Thanks, Kristina

 

[addy1]

to our group! another marylander

My pond is on a serious slope. The up slope edge, I made sure the dirt close to the pond sloped back and away from the pond. When doing the dirt work, I tried to have the center of the pond's dirt the highest (upslope edge) the dirt to either side dropping off to direct the water around the pond.
I also dug a trench, about 6 inches or so and put in gravel, covered it with landscape fabric to direct the water away from the pond. So far no issues when we get the heavy rains.

 

[kristina]

Hi Addy! Thanks for your reply, and suggestions for the slope. I read your posts. Nice to hear you survived and have thrived! Gives me hope.

You had a big project with your pond. How many gallons is your pond? I am going to follow your plan for my slope. I willl post more pictures as I go along. I am sure I will have lots of technical questions concerning filter and water chemistry.

It's a great day for diggin, Kristina

 

[buckry]

Only 3 solutions to slope. Build up the low side, dig down the high side, or do nothing and have a lopsided pond with a deep end, a shallow end, and a whole bunch of liner showing.

If you build up the low side, either using dirt or stacked rocks or bricks you will have a nice tall wall, could be good for sitting on or just standing and seeing the fish at a little bit closer level. Digging down the high side though could give you some really interesting possibilities for your fountain or waterfall. I really really wanted to dig down my low side, this would have mean a really large rock wall for water to trickle down. The effect would have been amazing, but I ran out of energy, I just couldn't dig any more. This is the best benefit of building up your low side, you already have the dirt, everything that came out of your hole should be enough to make that side level, all you have to do is rake it until it's right.

Both methods have benefits, but I think it's generally easier to build up the low side. It's super easy to stack some paving blocks then put your liner over them. When I finally decided this was the method I was going to take I never looked back and I'm glad, I really like how my pond sits up on a small hill, it kind of looks like a volcano, and building it up like that put it closer to my deck which makes it a lot nicer to see.

 

[sissy]

welcome and gotta love that ish part

 

[addy1]

Hi Addy! Thanks for your reply, and suggestions for the slope. I read your posts. Nice to hear you survived and have thrived! Gives me hope.

You had a big project with your pond. How many gallons is your pond? I am going to follow your plan for my slope. I willl post more pictures as I go along. I am sure I will have lots of technical questions concerning filter and water chemistry.

It's a great day for diggin, Kristina

It is beautiful today and tomorrow, then heat coming again............

My pond is 9-10000ish gallons or more if you now count the stream ponds, the deck pond the preform ponds, the lotus pond. Some day I will get ambitious and get accurate measurements. It has never been that important to me to figure out. Honey wants me to add another pond, so far resisting! He says I need more lily room!, love my lilies.

Makes yours nice and deep so the fish can hide in the winter and be cool in the summer.

Only 3 solutions to slope. Build up the low side, dig down the high side, or do nothing and have a lopsided pond with a deep end, a shallow end, and a whole bunch of liner showing.
.

Missed one, do both: dig down the high side, build up the low side I had to dig down 4-5 feet, and build up by 5-6 feet to make my pond level. The slope makes a great stream, but what a pita to build on!

 

[buckry]

Ahh, yes of course, do both. Never considered that for my pond, but in some situations that would probably be the best solution.

 

[addy1]

Ahh, yes of course, do both. Never considered that for my pond, but in some situations that would probably be the best solution.

lol yeppers, No way I was going to build a 10-12 foot wall on the low side.

 

[j.w]

kristina

 

[don't ask]

welcome
kristina

and yes today and most days are a good day for digging and ponding

 

[Becky]

Hello and welcome aboard! :wave:

 

[Figgy]

Hi kristina, welcome to the forum from me.