Bog building, also called upflow filter, eco filter, wetland filter

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There are so many ways to do stuff I can't decide what I want to do! Formal or not. Stone or block. In ground or above ground. I think I'm gonna grab the shovel and just start digging!
 
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Here's what we did when we installed our bog and pond 2 years ago. We are on a slight slope, so the top most pit is the bog, which drops in to a middle pond, which drops in to a lower pond. Disregard the black plastic edging ... we are phasing that out little by little.

Here is the underneath parts. Cinder blocks, filled with clay and pounded with rebar.
2013-08-11 19.00.52.jpg


Here, we've added capstones, which we fastened to the cinder blocks with construction adhesive. We covered all the sharp edges with bubble wrap and duct taped it down.
2013-08-17 16.48.04.jpg


Another view. The lower channel in the middle of the cinderblocks is where the bulk of our waterfall comes down.
2013-08-17 16.48.20.jpg


We covered all of this with 1 continuous liner. We also covered the edges with Rock On a Roll (note that we have since taken all the RoaR out and are redoing our edges.
2013-08-18 15.00.00.jpg


For the part of the wall below the waterfall, there was exposed liner above the waterline. Rock on a Roll to the rescue. Still need to clean up the funky corner, but you get the idea:
2014-05-18 19.08.21.jpg


Does this help at all?
 
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Yeah, that does. Everything helps, just so many different ways to do stuff and every application is different, just hard to wrap my head around how to do mine, I feel like I need to be in the middle of it before I really know what's going to work for me. I'm just afraid I'll overlook something crucial and mess the whole project up.

This is the area I have to work with along with my concept that I'm not sure how to build yet lol. Not as big as I'd like, but it'll make do.

http://imgur.com/a/DUxxg#0

Here is the concept for the lazy:

6kHQtfr.png
 
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We are now messing with expanding our lower pond, which means the connecting waterfall will have 2 separate liners. Based on my preliminary fitting, the falls were MUCH easier when it was all one liner -- with 2 liners, you can get wicking upwards between the two and need to take precautionary measures. The disadvantage is you end up wasting some liner to the walls -- it just depends on how much you want to spend and how much your tolerance is for manhandling such a huge liner.
 

addy1

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This was mine



The cut in the wall is the bog water fall, all one liner, 35 x 54 or something like that would need to find the papers about it


 
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Do you have an after pic of the bog/waterfall addy? Curious how you hid it. I know I've seen all your pictures, but not sure where off hand. Did you use fasteners to secure the timbers to each other?
 

Mmathis

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My bog add-on will be above the level of the pond. My plan is for the water to return to the pond via a little stream. So far it's just an idea as we haven't started building it yet, so I don't know what kind of issues I'll run into -- it looks good [to me] on paper, anyway. I'll use landscape blocks to build the wall as well as the "aquaduct" for the stream.
image.jpg


The green "pea" is the proposed bog, with water flowing off the side wall, through a stream and into the pond [the big blue "pea"].

image.jpg


Hope this helps!
 

Meyer Jordan

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I've been struggling trying to determine the best way to build the retaining wall between an in-ground pond and a raised bog with waterfall. Do I dig out both sides of the divider and leave the dirt there or does it make more sense to dig the entirety of the pond/bog out and then build up a retaining wall with cinder and then stacking stones/bricks around that? More importantly, I can't figure out how to lay the liner. One continuous liner or separate? I haven't decided if the bog will be in-ground at all or not, since it doesn't have to be very deep, can I dry stack retaining wall blocks? If it's 2 maybe 3 stones high, do I need to mortar them or do anything else?

Why create extra work and material costs? Go with your first idea. Dig out both the bog and the pond leaving an earthen wall dividing the two. This will provide all of the stability that you will need.
Constructed wetlands (bogs) are typically 18 inches in depth to accommodate a wide range of aquatic plantings whose root depths will vary from a few inches (Creeping Jenny) to 1.5 feet (many reeds and rushes).
 
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Why create extra work and material costs? Go with your first idea. Dig out both the bog and the pond leaving an earthen wall dividing the two. This will provide all of the stability that you will need.
Constructed wetlands (bogs) are typically 18 inches in depth to accommodate a wide range of aquatic plantings whose root depths will vary from a few inches (Creeping Jenny) to 1.5 feet (many reeds and rushes).

I want the bog raised for a few reasons.
  1. To hide more of the background (fence, shrubs, and utility pole). Part of this will be done with tall plants and by raising the bog.
  2. The closer I get to my White Oak tree the more roots I am going to have to deal with.
  3. Waterfall.
Then again, I've never built a pond before and that's why I'm here!

EDIT: Just realized you were probably not even talking about the raised portion. Your advice is duly noted.
 
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The closer I get to my White Oak tree the more roots I am going to have to deal with.

One thing to keep in mind, they say not to alter the grade of any land within the dripline of an established tree. Building a raised area in effect buries the tree roots even deeper and suffocates the tree.

That being said, with my new pond (still under construction) our berm is encroaching on the dripline of our japanese magnolia by about 2 feet. Hopefully the tree will forgive me, but at least i knew about it going in to things and am willing to deal with any consequences that may arise.

Not sure how old your oak tree is, or how big or close by it will be to your pond, just wanted to make you aware =) Your pond & bog looks like it's going to be fun! Can't wait to see it evolve!
 
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Great information.

As far as my Oak, it's not a baby. I'm gonna go out on a limb *snicker* and say it's 26 years or so. House was built in '89.

LBDKw4r.jpg
 
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I have a maple that we are pretty close to. I told the tree we were sorry for cutting some roots when we built the pond but it is getting even with me by sending a few shallow roots over the edge of the liner in to the pond.
 

addy1

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I say start digging and you'll find the shape you want, then post pictures and see if there are any major flaws and keep going... At least that's what I did. :D
Did the same it sort of flowed as I built it.I am within 10 feet of our large maple, put 8 feet of dirt over the roots, starting around 8 feet away, it did just fine.

Do you have an after pic of the bog/waterfall addy?

This is it right as it started growing this year.

IMG_1049.JPG


This is a shot from the house, the water fall return is the red arrow.
bog.JPG


Here is now at the waterfall area

bog1.JPG
 

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