CW's Back Yard Water Garden Begins!

[addy1]

Trust me I drule over your 30 foot high stream coming down the hill.

That hill is so steep it is actually hard to walk up. When I dug the stream I was just learning how to use the back hoe on my kabuta. Hubby would sit outside and watch in case it tipped over. I only went straight up the hill and backed down. No putting the tractor sideways.
It was all grass, when I would mow my mower would slide off the hill and hit the trees. To steep to mow unless going straight up and back down.

 

[GBBUDD]

I'd rather walk around with red glitter toe nail polish then to cut slopes all day

 

[GBBUDD]

How's that for a mentle pic... I just had diversity training I'm learning how to show my femine side.

 

[GBBUDD]

I'll share with you my single most regret . Or wish I had done though when I built my pond I knew as you very little in the beginings.
The shelves I would have build differently I would have made depressions in tge shelves them selves a little larger or twice as large in width as a typical gallon or two gallon pot or maybe even some oil pan tubs and made it so I could recess them into the shelve this way the roots are still in a container but you can't see tge container because it is recessed in tge shelf.

 

[combatwombat]

I'll share with you my single most regret . Or wish I had done though when I built my pond I knew as you very little in the beginings.
The shelves I would have build differently I would have made depressions in tge shelves them selves a little larger or twice as large in width as a typical gallon or two gallon pot or maybe even some oil pan tubs and made it so I could recess them into the shelve this way the roots are still in a container but you can't see tge container because it is recessed in tge shelf.

Great idea. I was actually planning to do that for lilly pots, but didn’t know where I’d place them, so didn’t dig them. Since I’m pulling up the liner anyway, would be very easy to dig a bunch of them and if I don’t use some, can just fill w/ gravel.

And I have a little girl now, so will probably be walking around w/red glitter toe nails pretty soon.

 

[combatwombat]

Today's progress:

-De-rock and de-root the bog filter.
- Cut down weir @ bog filter 3" (to be built back up to create waterfall weir after liner goes in.
- Fold up and move 40x70 liner out of way to dig out another shelf.

Holy hell that liner is heavy. Can't even imagine how tough it would be to move if it were epdm. No need to lift weights tomorrow.

Here's a little tip if you ever have to drag a heavy pond liner around: wrap your finger knuckles (the ones closest to your fingernails in electrical tape before putting on your gloves.

When you're dragging the liner around, your gloves make your hands sweaty, which softens the skin on your knuckles. Then the fabric of the gloves rips the soft skin right off. Last time I moved the liner I had 10 gnarly knuckle wounds. Could barely bend my fingers for days while they healed. The tape protects the skin. Worked great this time.

 

[combatwombat]

Oh, and while hand bailing the last inch of the filthiest water I've ever had the displeasure of smelling this morning because my utility pump can only pump down to 1", here's another idea I had that anyone building a pond might consider:

Slope the bottom of your pond to one point—just like with a wetland filter— and dig a hole big enough for your pump to recess into + 6" of diameter. When the pond is complete, you can just fill it with pond gravel (if you're rocking your pond). If you ever need to fully drain your pond, pull the gravel out and set your pump there. This will ensure no hand bailing will be required.

 

[combatwombat]

Uh oh...

3.5" ID concrete pipe running diagonally across property @ ~50" deep. Thing falls apart instantly in 12" sections. Pretty sure it's abandoned, but possible explanations:

1. Something to do with old septic system, abandoned for city sewer in the 90s.
2. Something to do w/ gutter dry wells. I have 4 of them on the property, but no idea where they are. Unlikely as pipe close to house is ABS.
3. Old city storm drain? Think it's much too small for that.

Gonna run a hose down the gutters this afternoon to see if it has anything to do with that system.

 

[GBBUDD]

Looks like your a a poor drainage area. Depending on the age of your house I'd bet down spout drain 3.5 inch is not going to handle too much. Beware it may also be asbestos pipe I'm not seeing any rock in the mix

 

[combatwombat]

Looks like your a a poor drainage area. Depending on the age of your house I'd bet down spout drain 3.5 inch is not going to handle too much. Beware it may also be asbestos pipe I'm not seeing any rock in the mix

I don't think so? We're practically sand at 4' and beyond. The downspout laterals are buried 2' and run perpendicular to this line running at 4' deep. Seems unlikely, but I'm off to run the hose down them just to see what happens!

 

[GBBUDD]

They use to make transite drain pipe that was made from asbestos if you dont see any rock in the mix then it is most likely transite. just don't create dust with it keep it wet

 

[combatwombat]

Actually @GBBUDD, I think you're right about drainage. I ran a hose down the gutters, but nothing.

The pieces of pipe are really just butted together (to allow water to seep out?) and the line is surrounded by 1.5" river rock. Why surround with river rock if not for drainage?

I wonder if it could be connected to a foundation drain for our basement. I didn't think we had a drain since our place was built in the 60s and I never noticed any drains in our basement window wells that I assumed would connect to the foundation drain tile. The depth of the pipe at about 48" below grade would match up pretty well with the floor of the basement.

If that's the case, now I wonder... what to do about it?

Edit: You know, now that I think about it, I wonder if this is the leach field for the old septic system. There's another spot I'm digging where I've hit a run of identical river rock at the same elevation, running parallel to this line about 6' away. That would make sense to me. 48" seems quite deep for a leach field, though.

 

[GBBUDD]

Are you on city sewer or septic?

 

[GBBUDD]

if it is surounded by river rock then i would suspect its part of a drywell

 

[combatwombat]

@GBBUDD: I just edited my reply above. We're on sewer, but the home was built in the 60s w/septic. Converted in the 90s. I've actually uncovered 2 lines like this running parallel. That makes me think it's part of the old leach field.