CW's Back Yard Water Garden Begins!

[brokensword]

Haha....Dude, are you actually making any progress with your pond?
There are a ton of different ways to build a nice pond, you just got to pick one and go with it, because the more you sit there and think, the more you will start questioning and changing things, getting bogged down in minutia.

what jhn said...

Annnd, you know, the way you're doing it, you're going to take all the fun out of ponding that happens AFTER you build it! I mean, you'll turn to your wife and say; 'I was thinking maybe we should change...' and your wife will say; 'Dear? Didn't you already do that?'

Seriously, get 'er done and start enjoying. There's more than enough to keep you busy later, trust me; ponding isn't something that you do and let sit. 11th year and I'm still spending full days off tweaking this or that.

 

[GBBUDD]

The only way to define progress is less liner showing

 

[combatwombat]

Waterfall design inspiration:

This is a photo of one (of hundreds) of falls at Plitvice Lakes Park in Croatia. Wife and I stopped in here for a 1/2 day of hiking on our last trip before our daughter was born. What a magical place.

 

[Rashad]

Come on CW, at this rate I'm going to beat you to finishing the pond even though you started way earlier. (although yours is a lot bigger to be fair). Just get going! I'm saving the negative edge for when I inevitably redo the pond in 5 years once I see how many cottonwood leaves and seeds get in the pond.

 

[combatwombat]

Alright! I've been putzing around the pond for a few days trying to figure out what to do next. I appreciate (really!) the prodding to make some progress, but I am moving carefully and capitalizing on opportunities as they become available and I learn more. I think that's part of being a first-time pond builder. Let's make sure we get this as close to right as possible the first time so that any changes in the future are fun little ones and not mega, back-breaking changes.

Anyway... I know what to do! It finally dawned on me. I absolutely must incorporate a negative edge. The water quality benefit is just too much to ignore. And it's too cool. If I don't build it, I'll wish I had, and then it will be too late.

So, I am going to re-reverse (that's an UNO-style double reverse!) the pond back to my original flow plan, turning what was originally going to be my intake bay-turned-wetland filter into a negative edge skimmer.

That leaves me with figuring out where to put the wetland filter. Gonna eat up a lot of space. Then it dawned on me. I don't have to have one BIG filter. I can have several small ones. So I'm going to plan to build 2. Maybe 3. We'll see!

This decision allows me to get back to work building my in-pond retaining wall and also to dig my first new wetland.

 

[Lisak1]

Paging resident negative edge expert, @Lisak1...

We've had fish go overboard, but it only happens during spawning - they don't swim over on purpose. In fact, they hover very close to the edge, enjoying the current. When we did have koi, they never went over. Only the goldfish, oddly. Maybe an intelligence test.

Our basin always has a few inches of water in it, so we've never lost a fish as a result of one bailing out. We just scoop them up and toss 'em back in. If you're worried about it and your basin doesn't hold enough water, you can add a bib liner under the gravel.

 

[combatwombat]

Rockin' and blockin'.

Tomorrow's task: Pull a few of these blocks back OUT and notch them because I got excited that they were going up quickly and forgot I need to install PVC for some return jets and conduit for lights behind the wall.

 

[GBBUDD]

C w you should have your stacks half lapping the layer bellows joint / definitely digging the cures of the wall. are you planning on filling behind the wall with 3/4" rock? sand? watch out for those corners on the block wall There not designed with water and liners in mind . Heck of a easier way to hold back the sides then trying to build with boulders it ,ay not seem that way now after moving all that block but it's looking good

 

[GBBUDD]

Dont know what your plan is for the bog but to me i would have it come right up to the deck maybe stop a couple feet short for a work path to access the bog . but in the far corner where you have your red line is wher i would have my main falls out of the bog turned toward the stairs and the patio area and deck even if the bog doesn't look at the deck the falls can it does not need to be symmetrical Odd shapes truely look the best imo

 

[combatwombat]

C w you should have your stacks half lapping the layer bellows joint

I did quarter laps instead of half laps because the curves were not looking too good w/ half laps. You can see the spacing looks perfect at the beginning of the wall (far side). Less perfect at the end (near side). Might adjust by starting each course at opposite end. Will adjust 3rd course tomorrow that way and see how it looks.

definitely digging the cures of the wall

Thanks!

are you planning on filling behind the wall

Wall is being backfilled as I go w/ pea gravel. Just haven't filled 3rd course yet.

Heck of a easier way to hold back the sides then trying to build with boulders

It's definitely easier, but not as good looking. That's why I'm only doing it where you'll never see it except from inside the pond. Boulders everywhere else.

 

[GBBUDD]

I did quarter laps instead of half laps because the curves were not looking too good w/ half laps. You can see the spacing looks perfect at the beginning of the wall (far side). Less perfect at the end (near side). Might adjust by starting each course at opposite end. Will adjust 3rd course tomorrow that way and see how it looks.

Understood that's where cutting a little of two or three block come into play but structurally i doubt you'll have to worry about it

Putting a boulder in between the wall and starting with a few more course of block could look very cool

 

[combatwombat]

Putting a boulder in between the wall and starting with a few more course of block could look very cool

That would be pretty cool. Might give it a shot. Almost time to figure out how to move some big ass rocks.

 

[Jhn]

That would be pretty cool. Might give it a shot. Almost time to figure out how to move some big ass rocks.

Yes progress...Sounds like excavator time or

 

[combatwombat]

Not much has physically happened since last update, but some plans are in motion.

1. Got most of the plumbing runs planned. Will be a mix of 2" and 3" lines both rigid and flex PVC.
   
   
2. Sorting out details this weekend to rent an excavator from a family friend. Believe he's going to rent it to me based on engine hours as he's not using it right now. This is extremely ideal.
   
   
3. Going on a 5 hour round-trip excursion with my dad on Monday to pick up 400 MILK CRATES. Dude sells them by the pallet for about $1.60 each. Same ones that Farmplast sells for $6.50 + shipping. Will be using about 100 for settling chamber in the wetland and the rest for water storage in the negative edge cistern. And probably a few left over for garage storage and to give away to friends and neighbors. Should get some good pics. We're going to load them onto a big, empty boat trailer.

 

[GBBUDD]

i would zip tie everything you can particularly the bottoms to each other and bottoms of the top layer to the top of the bottom layer make them all one