raised pond build- worried about the walls

[Funny]

Hello. I'm building a new pond at my new house. I had a pond at my old house that was a typical in the ground, little waterfall. At the new house, my prime location has a two foot high treated lumber wall about halfway around from a previous above ground pool. Most of the wooden wall is holding back the dirt, but it's old enough that I think it's pretty settled. On the other half I have to build a 2' high wall around the other sides. It will be approximately 9x15' with some bogs and a waterfall/stream area on one of the long sides (on the already higher side). So I was considering making the walls with treated 4x6's with the 6" side for the width and then doing a stack stone wall on the outside to cover it up and look more natural. The other thought I had was a cinderblock wall drystacked and filled with concrete and rebar and with a good footer. If I do the cinderblock wall, I'll probably mortar stone to the block or do a drystack with mortar and concrete to make it a giant solid mass. I think either will hold the pressure of the water (but if you don't, please let me know), but I do worry about the winter freeze and the pressure on something as unforgiving as concrete or wood. I think I'm in zone 7, just outside of Baltimore, Maryland. Any thoughts or recommendations? Thank you in advance.

 

[mrsclem]

I think the concrete block would be best. I wish we had been able to do that instead of wood. 4x6s would also work well, don't use anything smaller. 2x12s warp and bow!

 

[Funny]

I continued my research here last night and saw a post from a gentleman from TN that had basically done what I was thinking of with stacking the blocks and filling with rebar and concrete. He said he just buried one layer of block and built up from there and it has lasted several years without any issues. I would go deeper than that, but many of the things I read talk about digging 30" deep and 24" for the the footer. That is just so much digging and concrete. Like everyone else, I don't want to spend extra time and money that isn't necessary, especially when I want to get my fish in the ground!

 

[GBBUDD]

I do not have the lift of the ground with a retaining wall but I did have to hold back a 6 foot tall wall inside the pond. I used cinder blocks to hold the earth back . At the bottom of this post is a link to my build wich is on the larger side.

 

[j.w]

@Funny

 

[GBBUDD]

lol i thought j.w was making fun of the person who posted here ... jokes on me