New Pond Build Question

[SunnyGirl]

Hi everyone,

I am building a new pond, 25 x 30 feet and 4 feet deep, we plan to use it for beauty and also for light swims and soaking.

I am not going to be adding any fish, maybe some plants.

I have read conflicting opinions on this and want to make sure that I cover all the bases before we start digging...

My question is the slope of the sides, considering the deepness of this pond, should the edges have a slope like a soup bowl, or can they be straight?

Thanks!

 

[Lisak1]

First things first - welcome to the GPF!

I think the first advice I would give you is to talk to someone with some construction experience in your area. "What lies beneath" is so unique to every area of the world that it would be impossible to say how deep you can dig straight down with out worrying about collapse or reinforcement. In my back yard, I could easily go four feet straight down - six feet would get dicey.

The second question is one of function. It sounds like this is a pond you plan to get in and out of quite frequently. Think about what would make that easier - and safer. Our sides are relatively straight, but we do have a set of "steps" built in (three small shelves actually) where I can easily get in and out of the pond. A gradual slope might be good, but it might also get slippery if you are planning an EPDM liner bottom.

Third thing I will throw out there is the question of filtration - how do you plan to keep this pond functioning as a pond you would WANT to get into? No fish eliminates one part of the equation, but a hole filled with water still poses a challenge. You said you may have "some plants" - what kind of design plan are you considering? Are you looking for more of a natural swimming pool?

 

[sissy]

It can be straight but will be hard to get out of and plants won't have a shelf to sit on .

 

[SunnyGirl]

First things first - welcome to the GPF!

I think the first advice I would give you is to talk to someone with some construction experience in your area. "What lies beneath" is so unique to every area of the world that it would be impossible to say how deep you can dig straight down with out worrying about collapse or reinforcement. In my back yard, I could easily go four feet straight down - six feet would get dicey.

The second question is one of function. It sounds like this is a pond you plan to get in and out of quite frequently. Think about what would make that easier - and safer. Our sides are relatively straight, but we do have a set of "steps" built in (three small shelves actually) where I can easily get in and out of the pond. A gradual slope might be good, but it might also get slippery if you are planning an EPDM liner bottom.

Third thing I will throw out there is the question of filtration - how do you plan to keep this pond functioning as a pond you would WANT to get into? No fish eliminates one part of the equation, but a hole filled with water still poses a challenge. You said you may have "some plants" - what kind of design plan are you considering? Are you looking for more of a natural swimming pool?

Thanks! Yes, I am planning to speak with a pond builder tomorrow, though our soil is desert hard clay, and is very solid, read online that clay soil is actually ideal for pond digs.

Good point as far as climbing in, will think about that one and yes using 45mil EPDM.

I am planning to put in a good filtration system with a 4000 GPH pump, a fountain and small waterfall for aeration, and rock for bacteria to grow on, I do have 4 big fish tanks in the house and am familiar with the bio system

I probably am planning more of a natural swimming pool, though the winters in the CA desert are very cold, so the swimming would be only for summers.

The shelfs you built are molded from dirt?

 

[Lisak1]

You might want to research natural swimming pools rather than ponds - there have been a few threads on the forum that have discussed this, one very recently.

Good luck and be sure to take lots of pictures! We will love seeing your results!

 

[SunnyGirl]

It can be straight but will be hard to get out of and plants won't have a shelf to sit on .

Yes, kind of dreading it (the building of shelf part), but will likely build a shelf maybe a 1/4 way around for some plants, would that work?

 

[Lisak1]

Why are you dreading the shelf? It's an area where you don't have to dig as deep! Are you digging this by hand, by the way?

And maybe you want to look into adding a bog to your pond - it would be an area separate from the swim area for plants to grow and filter the water. The water from the bog then flows back into the pond area. Just an idea!

 

[SunnyGirl]

Why are you dreading the shelf? It's an area where you don't have to dig as deep! Are you digging this by hand, by the way?

And maybe you want to look into adding a bog to your pond - it would be an area separate from the swim area for plants to grow and filter the water. The water from the bog then flows back into the pond area. Just an idea!

Oh, because it's 114F here and using that tamper tool is not so fun, but you are right, don't have to dig as deep is true, no I have a guy coming to dig with a machine, at least the main parts, the shelves I assume I would have to do the sehlf by by hand? I did a smaller pond last month and had to tamper out a shelf for that one by hand

I like the bog idea, was looking at some photos of people doing that, a separate area for bog and swimming.

 

[Lisak1]

Ah! Gotcha! Yeah, working in the heat is no fun at all. It was up in the 90s here in the early part of the month, but it's back down to a comfortable low 70s for the rest of this week. I plan to spend lots of time outside!

And yes, you'll have to do shelves by hand but if the big digging is done, that won't be so bad. And you'll be glad you added shelves when you are trying to put plants in your pond. How deep do you plan to make your shelf?

 

[sissy]

you tube is a really good source for info on them and what they look and how they work

 

[SunnyGirl]

Yes, I have looked through Youtube, I have no experience with shelves so not sure how deep I should go, still researching that part, there is so much to learn

 

[Lisak1]

My biggest single piece of advice - plan, plan, plan. Do your research and ask lots of questions and have the entire thing down on paper before the shovel ever hits the ground. There's nothing worse than the feeling you have for the person who posts "so I built this pond and made this long list of mistakes... what do I do now?"

 

[SunnyGirl]

My biggest single piece of advice - plan, plan, plan. Do your research and ask lots of questions and have the entire thing down on paper before the shovel ever hits the ground. There's nothing worse than the feeling you have for the person who posts "so I built this pond and made this long list of mistakes... what do I do now?"

THANKS! And yes, this is my plan exactly, I am doing lots of research before I start.

 

[sissy]

Shelves depend on what plant and where you live and being able to lower them in the water so they will not freeze