Replacement Pond Build

[johnnyi]

You are on your way to a lovely spot to someday relax and enjoy all your efforts. As for now "Get back to work"!

The task mistress, JW. Being a 63 year old desk-jocky (in IT), I have to take it slow and steady. My guess is this will take about 6 or 7 half day sessions to be ready for liner. Then it could take weeks and weeks to place the rocks. I'm likely going to fill the pond before rock placement due to my fish being stuck in that stock tank. They need to have a pond sooner than later. My guess is that it will take about 3 to 4 weeks in elapsed time to get to the fill point.

On a larger note, the new pond will have more hardy water lilies and less tall material. We are intending the yard as a whole be planted in natives with the purpose being to attract insects and birds. We want to have no lawn by the end of the project. That project will not complete until next year most likely. We are doing the front yard landscaping this year with the same goal.

The smaller plant material in the foreground will lead to better sight lines for viewing and photography from the patio. The bogs we had in our old pond were hard to care for and control in terms of the plant material growing there. This time more of the plant material will be outside the pond with the exception of hardy water lilies.

We will see soon.

John

 

[j.w]

@johnnyi Ok slow and steady will win the race then. I know what you mean about being aged to perfection as I am in that mode somewhat also. I need to try and behave myself and not try to get one huge project done in one day w/o water, food or resting. Then i find myself crawling into the house at the end of the day and collapsing on the couch where no one can even speak to me,lol!

Neat on you not going to have any grass to mow in the end. I would love that but to get there I would have to perform the above actions that I should not be doing to accomplish that task. We have over an acre of grass, plus a common area adding another maybe 1/2 acre to mow. It would take a lot of landscaping to get rid of all that grass and then think of the weeding!

Don't forget to post us more pictures as you go along w/your new pond and landscaping project.

 

[RobAmy]

Coming along nicely, keep up the good work

 

[GBBUDD]

Smart people keep it simple and learning from there mistakes.. < JEALOUS

 

[johnnyi]

I only got an hour and a half in Sunday morning but made progress. Have the far side bottom finished to the right of those concrete blocks.

Here and the next picture you can see the area above the shadow of my hat that I've dug out where the stream will enter the pond. I've made the side there flush, no shelf. That area is now at the correct depth. The lighter soil to the left of the tip of the shovel handle all the way to the concrete bricks in the picture needs to be at the same depth, so that's the next big (for me) digging job.

Here is the long view. It shows the foot or so of soil that has to come out of the middle bottom and the right wall, midway down has to be cut back. Still think I have a two or three weeks before liner goes in. As it stands now, I'll need a piece 25' x 35' to handle the hole. The bricks in all these shots are there for when the ground is wet to prevent me from sinking in the mud up to my knees.

 

[j.w]

That's gonna be big and beautiful! You have lots of room around all the sides for tons of pretty plants!

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

Thanks for the update @johnnyi , I'm glad to see you're making progress on your project.

 

[johnnyi]

Finished the right (east or house) side this morning. What remains is the step area at the far right end and where the bricks are in the middle left (about 9 to 12 inches deep and about 4.5 feet by 2.5 feet). That should do it for the pond, then I have to work on the stream bed on the pond's left (west) side. I'll probably order rubber and underlayment this week. The soil is drying out and is silt and clay-ish - no rocks of any kind. I'll probably need to wet it a little to make it more pliable. The home stretch.

 

[addy1]

Nice hole!

 

[GBBUDD]

no rocks of any kind

'' I HATE YOU '' Ok not really just very jealous!!! I have nothing but rocks. So many its quicker digging with a pic and a metal rake. Going to be interesting to see where you take your pond.

 

[johnnyi]

Hehe. The nature of the soils of the Great Central Valley of California are mostly like this. Specifically the lower parts between Yuba City/Marysville in the north to just below Stockton in the south. It also is a big factor in the massive agricultural output of the region. The actual valley dimensions are 450 miles by 40 to 60 miles. More information here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Valley_(California)

John

 

[Mmathis]

@GBBUDD Here, we don’t have rocks. We have clay that can sometimes be just as bad, though.

 

[Angel]

@GBBUDD Here, we don’t have rocks. We have clay that can sometimes be just as bad, though.

I have clay as well. easiest cheap method to dig it was using a rototiller granted slow and a few inches a pass but easier then a pickaxe and shovels.

 

[Mmathis]

I have clay as well. easiest cheap method to dig it was using a rototiller granted slow and a few inches a pass but easier then a pickaxe and shovels.

For the pond dig, we rented a mini-excavator, but yes, for ANY decent digging I use my tiller! Best purchase ever! The only problem is timing of the moisture content.

 

[johnnyi]

Today I started by cutting the steps into the pond. I'm using 1 more than last time to make it easier to get in and out. You can see it top right. The I started looking at the mounds in the middle and realized that I needed to make that left edge back another 6 to 9 inches. I'm working my way toward the camera position. I have a feeling that I will begin fiddling with the edges all the way toward me on the left and even where I'm perching for this shot. I know, can't leave well enough alone, but one has to do what one has to do.

This was taken later after I had shoveled a bunch of the dirt out. As I was cooling off I decided to throw an existing pipe from the last build to see where I'd put the main submersible pump. I'll likely cut off a bit of the flex hose and run the hard pipe a little closer to the pond. I'll need to cut off most of the hard pipe past the 45 degree bend as that's about where the outlet into the top of the stream bed will be. In many ways this is the most fun part - trying to visualize the outcome, making adjustments and being very close to the final phase.