Digging a pond in dry sandy soil

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Hi
I have viewed a lot of videos on digging a pond. I live in Perth Western Australia. Our soil is very sandy and dry.
My question is how to form the sides and steps in a pond when the side keep collapsing?
 
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One way is to over dig your foundation. so lets say you want you pond to be 4 feet deep and have one shelf. i would dig down the 4 foot but instead of making vertical walls over dig it so after you place your underlayment if there is going to be one and your rubber liner .lay out the rubber and start installing your rocks "large 24"- 30" prefered layout your wall in the pattern you wish and thn fold the rubber over the rocks and backfill up to the stone wall you just made. Compacting is key here you don't want the sand settling down the road and stretching the rubber out and causing a leak. repeat this step for your second vertical wall...

Easiest way is to just pitch the slope toward the bottom of the pond.

Or you can cut in bond beams pour concrete footings and build cinder block walls . i would pin your walls to your footings/ bond beams

i did similar for different reasons but for the same purpose to keep the sides from collapsing you can find it here https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/going-for-it-phase-one-12-000-gallon-pond.22563/page-4
 
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One way is to over dig your foundation. so lets say you want you pond to be 4 feet deep and have one shelf. i would dig down the 4 foot but instead of making vertical walls over dig it so after you place your underlayment if there is going to be one and your rubber liner .lay out the rubber and start installing your rocks "large 24"- 30" prefered layout your wall in the pattern you wish and thn fold the rubber over the rocks and backfill up to the stone wall you just made. Compacting is key here you don't want the sand settling down the road and stretching the rubber out and causing a leak. repeat this step for your second vertical wall...

Easiest way is to just pitch the slope toward the bottom of the pond.

Or you can cut in bond beams pour concrete footings and build cinder block walls . i would pin your walls to your footings/ bond beams

i did similar for different reasons but for the same purpose to keep the sides from collapsing you can find it here https://www.gardenpondforum.com/threads/going-for-it-phase-one-12-000-gallon-pond.22563/page-4
Thank you for your advise. I was going to line the top shelf with breeze blocks and then lay the underlay and liner behind this, or over the blocks. Sloping the wall in towards the centre is probably a better option
 
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If i might i would suggest putting your plans to paper and place them here. if you have seen a video on youtube that you want to model your pond after give us a link to it .

Here's a strarter list .
Are you using epdm 45 rubber?
Underlayment? in the pond ? and or outside the pond?
Are you going to build a bog ?
Water fall?
Stream ?
Shallow end for kids?
Skimmer?
Infinity edge?
Main drain?
Rain capturing system?
Fish ?
Plants?
Rock in the pond?
Large rocks ?
Small rocks?
Gravel?
Lights?
Depth ?
Width?
Pond is to be underground?
Semi raised?
Gph for your pump or size of filter?
External pump ?
Internal pump ?
Your level of construction semi handy? very handy? not very handy at all?
Budget?
 

sissy

sissy
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welcome and great advice here .Have you checked your water table also .Sandy soil near any water may cause problems .Also what kind of fish ,I see so many kinds on here that it amazes me
 
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Thank you for your advise. I was going to line the top shelf with breeze blocks and then lay the underlay and liner behind this, or over the blocks. Sloping the wall in towards the centre is probably a better option
Better solution possible but if your temps get that high then i would say you need some depth to your pond to keep the fish cool. and to slope the walls is going to require a lot of space to build the pond .
 
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IMG_20200518_195302509.jpg
Hi guys
Thankyou all for your advice. Unfortunately due to budget and restrictions from covid19. I had to scrap my pond. But now that restrictions are being lifted here in Western Australia and the fact I have been given a couple of preformed ponds. I am going down the preformed pond line.
I do have one question. Is the section of the pond liner shown in the photo
1. Is this a spillway (waterfall)
2. If not can this be reshaped, possibly with heat to form a spillway. ( I thought maybe a heat gun or hairdryer)
Regards
Kevin
 

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