Construction of The Hawkins' Family Pond

[randythawkins]

I have not seen any heron at my pond but have seen them at a nearby field pond so I am certain they are around.

Earlier I mentioned " and could be stacked when placed off to the side"...well, if done carefully, they could be sized such that, when turned upside down, they could fit inside each other in an ordered manner. Much like stacking pots/pans in the kitchen cabinet. One would be the largest and the next one down in size would need to be only a few inches smaller in either direction and then the next one even smaller. Given that you have an oval pond it might be pretty easy to accommodate that sizing because the shape of the pond changes.

 

[randythawkins]

Leaves started dropping like crazy 3 days ago. The net I made is doing pretty well...

It does a good job of blocking all the large leaves and about 50% of the smaller Oak tree leaves. The Oak ones seems to float for quite awhile and will get sucked into the skimmer.

I realized I needed to get busy and get the cover for the SC built so first thing early Saturday morning I got this made:

I did not glue any of the connections. A test on the SC shows all good to continue.

I then applied some super glue to all the joints, let it sit for about 10 minutes, then got busy painting.

Sunday morning I started to attach the net.

I used zip ties on both ends and 1 long side. On the other long side I use the same eye-hooks as I did before so that I can loosen the net and flip it back when I need easy access (like to net out one of my smaller fish who likes to ride bottom drain pipe from the pond to the SC. I have had to move him back about 4 times over the past 2 months.).

 

[addy1]

Nice job! luckily my maple leaves got blown away from the pond, only had to net out around 10 leaves.

 

[randythawkins]

The Winter cold has passed - well, sorta - and I am back on my pond construction work. Last month I had a lot of free time and was able to make HUGE headway with my stuff. I have a ton of pictures showing my work and since there is really no logical break in them instead of making a super long thread posting I will chop my update into a handful of smaller posting. It may take me several days to get all of them posted so if things seem to end strangely come back and check later for a subsequent posting.

Most of what I did was a back-and-forth between finishing in the skimmer enclosure (which I refer to as the skimmer 'box') and building the waterfall structure (AKA the waterfall 'box'). For the skimmer I need to set 2 more posts.

I dug a trench for the line which would run from the pump to the waterfall.

It would tie in where my temporary return is connected.

Meanwhile the concrete at the skimmer box had set up enough that I could remove the post supports.

Which meant I was free to dig and set the posts for the waterfall box.

Setting the waterfall basin in confirmed that my posts were "good enough" so I filled the holes with concrete and called it a day.

 

[randythawkins]

The next day started with building up the waterfall box. First I needed to build the top on which the basin's lip would rest.

Later the top will be covered with rock similar to what is around the top edge of the pond. Now that I know where the top of the basin will be I know where the bottom of the basin will be and I can locate and build the components which will support the basin.

The supports under the basin are what carry the actual weight of the basin and NOT the top part where the basin's lip rests. Taking a break from the waterfall, I went back to the skimmer and got some horizontal pieces in place.

I added some more framing to the waterfall.

At this point I ended another day.

 

[sissy]

how are you connecting the 2

 

[randythawkins]

how are you connecting the 2

The pump to the waterfall? - Coming off the pump I have a temporary 2" return dropping up and over into the pond. You can see it a lot of my pics. I will have a 2" line buried and run to the waterfall box and the temporary one will be removed. My next posting will show that. I am having problems including the pictures so I have not been able to get that done - when I try to include a picture (not attach it) nothing happens when I push the Image button. This happens in both Chrome and IE so I assume there is an issue on the serverside right now. It will be soon however (I hope).

 

[sissy]

I was wonder how the waterfall box will spill into the pond.internet has been spotty because of all the storms .I have not been effecting but a friend in SC has and my Aunt Jo has been having problems in Florida

 

[randythawkins]

I was wonder how the waterfall box will spill into the pond.internet has been spotty because of all the storms .I have not been effecting but a friend in SC has and my Aunt Jo has been having problems in Florida

Oh, I'm sorry - that 'connect the 2'...well, I will be working on that tomorrow actually. I call it the 'cascade' part of the waterfall. Between the waterfall box and the pond I will build a stairstep of dirt with flowerbed wall block on either side. Water will fall out of the basin into the first step, over a flat rock into a second step, and then over another flat rock into the pond itself. There will be more to it than that but explaining the 'more' part is kinda difficult.

 

[sissy]

I guess you will be moving a lot of dirt then .I hope you have a tamper so you can tamp each level of dirt .The tamping for my water fall is what took me the longest time .I did not want it to start settling from heavy rain or freeze and thaw .Even the footings for my retaining wall block took forever to tamp the dirt to pack it down good .i used stone dust for my foundation for my retaining wall block

 

[randythawkins]

I guess you will be moving a lot of dirt then .I hope you have a tamper so you can tamp each level of dirt .The tamping for my water fall is what took me the longest time .I did not want it to start settling from heavy rain or freeze and thaw .Even the footings for my retaining wall block took forever to tamp the dirt to pack it down good .i used stone dust for my foundation for my retaining wall block

Actually, it is not that much dirt. It looks like it but, as I have come to realize, it really is not. Of course, 'a lot' is subjective. I have a concrete footing for one side done already and will be doing the other side tomorrow. Stay tuned for pics.

 

[sissy]

Mine was not a lot but turned out to be more than i expected .

 

[randythawkins]

Mine was not a lot but turned out to be more than i expected .

Similar...if you were to bring your retaining wall block tighter in to the liner and make it a little taller and our will match quite closely. I will not have any exposed dirt. Each "step" will have the retainer wall block on either side and only dirt underneath for setting height.

 

[sissy]

I wanted plants on either side so it will be elephant ears with either phlox or dianthus or both around the area .Then on the sides it will be banana plants .This way they will give more shade to the pond .

 

[randythawkins]

First task of the next morning was to build one of these:

That, my friends, is the manifold which will be located under the waterfall and will split the supply from the pump into the TPR line, the waterfall basin, and the basin by-pass. Having done all I could do with the manifold, I placed the line that would feed this contraption.

In the following picture I had shut the pump down, removed the temporary line, and connected the lower end of the new line.

Then I connected the manifold to the supply line.

Stay tuned...more coming shortly.