New Pond, First Pond

[addy1]

Agreed Tim, the Kubota sure helps around the place. She is my second and it is incredible the number of things you can think of that a tractor can tackle.

I love my Kubota, yours looks like the next size up from mine. Without it we would not have a pond or a tilled up yard now planted with flower seeds...............

 

[KDubU]

I love my Kubota, yours looks like the next size up from mine. Without it we would not have a pond or a tilled up yard now planted with flower seeds...............

Mine is the MX5100 (50hp) hydrostatic and agree about getting things done. Would not live without one on my property.

 

[KDubU]

A little more progress today, unfortunately work got in the way.

 

[addy1]

Mine is the MX5100 (50hp) hydrostatic and agree about getting things done. Would not live without one on my property.

Mine is a bx25, does everything I need it to do. When digging the pond with the back hoe it would have helped a bit if it was a bit stronger. We are nothing but rocks.

 

[GBBUDD]

@GBBUDD, agree with your suggestion and will be going to 4’ at the deepest. However I am following The Pond Digger’s advice about making sure to get ones level correct before digging deeper. This advice makes sense to me after reading about many people building ponds and finding out after it is not level. What are your concerns with making it level now?

Knowing the restrictions a tractors hoe such as yours the reach being what it is. Onevery simple way to check the level of an area such as your project is to use a section of garden hose filled with water. set some PINS/ stakes as off sets at the height you'd like i would suggest the water level be only a couple inches lower then the patio and raise the area between the pond and the patio to keep water run off from entering the pond. i have only built one pond like your self just last year but i have a been a builder and a tradesman all my life. ah but looking back at the new photos and a little more items to reference scale. your keeping to a size that is more manageable then i. It looks like your leaning toward verticle walls is this so ? no shelves for plants ? will there be plants ? or do you plan a koi pond?

 

[GBBUDD]

Pond digger is a great reference. if i had to do it over i would have made a deep,deep end that was a bowl one side for cleaning / vacuuming, maintenance.

 

[KDubU]

@GBBUDD, that latest pic is a bit deceiving as the right side is approx 24” deep currently and a shelf will be at that height. On the left, I have not dug down as the first shelf will be approx. 10” and then a second at 24”. This will be a garden pond, not a Koi pond.

 

[mgmine]

I would make the pond closer to the bottom of the slope and use the slope for a stream leading to a waterfall into the pond. Don't worry about the leaves, just cover it in the fall with a net.

 

[KDubU]

Another updated pic as I get a bit time at the end of a work day to dig out the pond. Left the Kubota in the garage this time as I am shaping the shelves and the soil is mostly sand so easy digging.

Also bought a larger liner for the bog as I was a bit concerned with the 5x10 I had for it. Once I am 14” deep on each side, that would leave me less the 3’ for the width of the bog. I now have a 10x15 coming so that gives me plenty to play with.

 

[KDubU]

I would make the pond closer to the bottom of the slope and use the slope for a stream leading to a waterfall into the pond. Don't worry about the leaves, just cover it in the fall with a net.

@mgmine that was one of my original plans but my wife wants the pond as close to the patio as possible so opted for another.

 

[j.w]

When you get your liner in don't cut the extra around the edge. Just fold it under and hide it as you never know when you might need to fix an edge. Stuff seems to shrink and sink and lots of us have been glad we have not cut it off.

 

[RobAmy]

Coming along very nicely

 

[RobAmy]

A question, are you going to rock the edge so you did not see the liner at the top? I see the the one wall near the patio, that would need some good size rocks or a wall to hide the liner. On mine I did a stone shelf below the water line. I did not rock the whole pond. I did build a wall from the bottom of the pond for where my stream entered the pond.

 

[KDubU]

A question, are you going to rock the edge so you did not see the liner at the top? I see the the one wall near the patio, that would need some good size rocks or a wall to hide the liner. On mine I did a stone shelf below the water line. I did not rock the whole pond. I did build a wall from the bottom of the pond for where my stream entered the pond.

Good question @RobAmy. I am following The Pond Digger design where he likes to have a steep drop and no shelves where one walks up to the pond to look in. I like the idea so followed along but do feel it will be a bit of a challenge to rock. My intent as it is now would be to stack rocks of reasonable size on top of one another. Saying this and doing this is two different things though as dry stacking is a bit of an art. I hope to take a trip out to the rock yard today and decide the type of rock to use and that may dictate things.

 

[Lisak1]

Oh this is so fun! You're putting that pond in the perfect spot to enjoy it all year round!

Here's my tip - rocks are expensive. If you're rocking the inside of the pond (which we did) choose something low on the price scale. We used Wisconsin granite which is relatively cheap. Once the pond is full of water, it doesn't matter what the rocks look like. You want them to be smooth and free of any sharp edges. And granite stacks very nicely! Remember you want a slight backwards lean on your wall - easy to do if you use the largest boulders around the bottom - and you'll be fine.