I'd Like to Build a Pebbly Beach

[mmorris]

I'd like a pebbly/sandy beach along a small section of my pond, which is currently under construction. I would like the pebbles to run right into the water without a larger-stone barrier around the edge. I hope that makes sense. There will be a stone barrier along the interior shelf that would keep the pebbles out of the deepest section (theoretically!). Is it possible to cover the liner with just the pebbles and no rocks? How gradual does the slope need to be? I've looked and looked for pics of a pond like this but I can't find any.

 

[bagsmom]

I am trying something similar in mine. I'm just at the digging stage, so I don't know if this will work. Instead of a slope, I'm doing a series of large, plateau like steps from very shallow down to about 2 1/2 feet deep. I'm going to use pebbles about the size of quarters on the shallow plateau -- to give critters a shallow place to access the water. Check in with me next year to see how it worked! (That's about how long it will be before I get it done, I think. Between money and time, it will be awhile!)

 

[mmorris]

I'm planning on putting in a dock, and I think a beach would look great around the dock. Are you going to use larger rocks on the inside edge of the shallow plateau to keep the pebbles from falling in? I wonder if the pebbles will stay where I put them - both in the water and on the shore! Part of me suspects there is a reason why more people aren't making beaches!

 

[GBBUDD]

One way to pull it off is to while under construction create a damn sortta speak with your beach pebbles and some caulking clear silicone or a gray or black and imbed the stone in the caulking . and or if you want to get fancy you could set the stone into a layer of concrete vibrate to surface push the aggregate down imbed your stone into the concrete with a retarder that will prevent the top of the concrete from setting you hose off the "slurry" and it leaves your stone in the concrete with its original color . google it . i did similar with mine but i used the fabric to wrap back and around to hold the weight back and glued the rock with m1 to that . so far so good but i am the only one who goes in my pond for the most part the latter is not one for a swim pond.

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[Lisak1]

We have a tiny little pebbly beach area in one spot along the edge of our pond. We just laid the liner flat up the slope and filled it with gravel. It ends right a the level of the first shelf, much like what you're describing. It's a favorite hang out for several of the frogs that call our pond home. It does tend to collect a bit of algae, but I just hose it out now and then.

 

[mmorris]

Thanks guys. I'm glad to hear it's do-able! The silicone is as good idea for creating a damn. You lost me on the concrete, I'm afraid but that's ok. My pond is too big for me to want to do "fancy" - almost 20,000 gallons.

 

[mmorris]

One way to pull it off is to while under construction create a damn sortta speak with your beach pebbles and some caulking clear silicone or a gray or black and imbed the stone in the caulking . and or if you want to get fancy you could set the stone into a layer of concrete vibrate to surface push the aggregate down imbed your stone into the concrete with a retarder that will prevent the top of the concrete from setting you hose off the "slurry" and it leaves your stone in the concrete with its original color . google it . i did similar with mine but i used the fabric to wrap back and around to hold the weight back and glued the rock with m1 to that . so far so good but i am the only one who goes in my pond for the most part the latter is not one for a swim pond.

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I love the underwater video! Gorgeous!

 

[Jhn]

It is definitely doable, I build living shorelines in the river systems of the Chesapeake Bay, which is basically recreating beach and marsh areas that are getting destroyed due to development and boat traffic. This method can be applied to a garden pond as well just on a smaller scale. The way to do the beach area without any adhesive, is as you suggested on a deeper shelf set large boulders on a piece of fabric/ filter cloth similar to your underlay for the pond liner. These boulders or large rocks would need to come around the sides of the beach area as well until it gets up above the water line. Leave the filter cloth long enough so it can be pulled up behind the large boulders, at this point chink up the gaps where the large boulders meet, with smaller rocks this will prevent the cloth from sagging in these gaps as the sand or pebbles are placed into the beach area and also wont let the sand or pebbles get into the deep end. If you have the room the gentler the slope the better, but probably a 4:1 or better slope would work to keep the sand from sliding into the deep end of the pond.

 

[mmorris]

Thanks for that! Could I use waterfall foam between the border rocks or would that look funky?

 

[poconojoe]

I like the description by jhn. It's a more natural approach.
I, personally would stay away from any adhesives or cement/concrete, but that's my opinion. I'm not a fan of adhesives which can fail and cause other problems.
You can build it stable without dependence on adhesives.