Need a barrier against ground water getting into pond

[djoliver1]

Hi. I've got a 15 ft. stream flowing downhill into a 2 foot waterfall into a 2500 gallon pond (12.5 ft x 9.5 ft x 3 ft deep). A 3300 gallon / hr. pump is in a skimmer box, which pumps the water out of the pond through a buried plastic pipe to the top of the stream where it is filtered and re-enters the stream. My house is located in a suburban neighborhood and the houses neighboring the top of the creek are higher up the hill than me. When it rains hard the run-off from their yards comes running through mine and overflows into my pond. There is an earthen berm that should protect the stream and pond but when it rain comes down hard enough, it overflows the berm and pollutes the pond with muddy water. I'm wondering if anyone knows of a product that could protect the pond from this overflow. I imagine something like a 1 foot high metal strip with spikes every 5 feet of so that I could pound into the ground to block the overflow and divert it away from the pond. But I don't know where to look for something like that. Any ideas how to fix this problem? It would be a lot of work to bring more dirt into the yard to build up the berms higher than they are now. And it would destroy the ground cover that has grown up around the pond. Attached is a photo of the stream and pond from several years ago before the ground cover filled in, but it will give you a good idea of the architecture. The water comes down both sides of the streams and overflows into the pond.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Djoliver

 

[Lisak1]

What if you stopped the water before it got to the pond? I'm thinking of some kind of swale or even a dry creek bed/french drain at the top of the hill to keep the water from flowing into your yard? Or a bigger berm at the top maybe? I just think any water that actually starts flowing down that hill is going to be difficult to stop.

My other thought is more vegetation on the hill leading to the pond. That way you would still get water in the pond, but it wouldn't be muddy. Just thinking out loud here!

 

[mrsclem]

A french drain would be a great solution. If your neighbors use chemicals on their yards, it could get into your pond.

 

[Mmathis]

I tend to agree with @Lisak1 and @mrsclem. My first thought was “French drain,” but if you get the kind of torrential downpours that we often get, it might well take a combination of interventions to make a difference. That’s a very nice setting you have there!

 

[addy1]

I'm thinking of some kind of swale or even a dry creek bed/french drain at the top of the hill to keep the water from flowing into your yard?

I would tend to do the above. Dig in a dry creek bed to direct the water away from the stream and pond. I had to do that during my build, to direct our slope run off away from the pond at the bottom of the slope. I have French drains and during the build I sloped the land to have rain run off flow down the sides of the slope.

 

[GBBUDD]

I agree with the ladies, but would take it a step further a depression / dry creek bed yes but I would make it about 18" deep and place a minimum of a 6 or 8 inch perforated pipe there are all kinds of versions of this today . they have what you would see in a commercial building a troff with a metal grate that can be left at the surface that catches the water and runs down the pipe or the pipe it's self can have perforations cloth wrapped or even they have started using shipping peanuts to slow the pipe from being clogged as fast over the years.

 

[djoliver1]

I agree with the ladies, but would take it a step further a depression / dry creek bed yes but I would make it about 18" deep and place a minimum of a 6 or 8 inch perforated pipe there are all kinds of versions of this today . they have what you would see in a commercial building a troff with a metal grate that can be left at the surface that catches the water and runs down the pipe or the pipe it's self can have perforations cloth wrapped or even they have started using shipping peanuts to slow the pipe from being clogged as fast over the years.

Thanks for all the replies. On the one side of the creek, there is already a trench for the water to flow down, which I can't deepen, because the pipe carrying water up to the top of the stream is just under the surface. On the other side I could dig a trench, so I might try that. But what I was thinking is that I could possible just build up the stone boundaries that circle the pond. If I put enough cement in between the rocks I add, it should keep the water from overflowing into the pond. I guess that is what I'll do. There is just too much water flowing through the yard for a French drain to work on its own. Thanks for your suggestions!