Rocks and stones

[Marco]

Is that always necessary, it’s not somewhere I have seen water build up, it is slightly raised. I did not understand what you said about the sand?

 

[Lisak1]

Your edge ALWAYS needs to be higher than the surrounding terrain. You may not expect runoff but it will happen - and even once is too much if you end up with mulch or dirt or - worst of all - fertilizer or pesticides in your pond.

 

[Marco]

So if I am putting slabs around, is the ridge on the pond side or the garden side?

 

[GBBUDD]

I am in New Hampshire where rocks are very plentiful in fact we call them NH potatoes. I'm happy to share some photos/video of what I did. (e-mail address removed). I have an upper pond, lower pond, and a 35 ft stream that drops 12 feet in elevation. I worked to get the surface as smooth as I could. I sifted dirt and added some sand. then wet it down, and brushed it with a broom, then tamped it. Both ponds have a tarp down first, then geotextile underlayment and I used 60 mil EPDM rubber. I did not feel the need for the tarp under the stream since most of the rocks are smaller. I am about 85% done, just need some additional rocking and landscaping this Spring. Here is a video from September. https://studio.youtube.com/video/21fb1a9mbic/edit

Your link does not work you copied the studio/edit page.. Always love seeing others ponds

 

[GBBUDD]

Is that always necessary, it’s not somewhere I have seen water build up, it is slightly raised. I did not understand what you said about the sand?

Sand is great in helping prevent rocks from puncturing liner.

So if I am putting slabs around, is the ridge on the pond side or the garden side?

Rocks placed around a pond is helpful but unless its sealed and rain run off simply cant get between or under., its not enough . It only takes a few inches of soil to force water to run elsewhere and not allow it In the pond.

Runoff can carry all kinds of nasty things into your pond be it from your yard, your road and neighbors. Motor oils fertilizers, pesticides the list is endless

You have to think like water it only runs uphill if it built up speed coming downhill from some source. Without, water only runs down hill. So it looks like your lot /land is very flat. Have you had flooding where your yard has a few inches after a huge rain , and it lasts on your yard for a day or two?
This is another issue with what is called hippoing. If water gets under the liner its a nightmare thats second only to a leak.
Usually when the pond is dug this material is used to build up the sides creating a berm to divert the water

 

[Marco]

ok so the solutions to hippoing is the berm to so the water reaching it or are you meant to bury the tip of lining down into soil?

 

[GBBUDD]

Hippo is when water gets under the liner and lifts it because the pressure is greater than the weight of the water in the pond. Thus looking like the back of a hippo in the middle of your pond. One way to help prevent is yes to keep water run off away from the pond. But even if you do so water can run underground and find the depression of your pond and it can the build up pressure making the hippo. Solution at that point is making a French drain or maybe just one unobstructed pipe running under the liner that runs to preferably the lowest part of your area. Creating a Path of least resistance

 

[Chris fish mom]

Hi, I am at the stage where I want to add quality underlay and liner but I keep reading about no rocks and stones. My ground is 50% rocks and stones - see images.

How perfect does this need to be before I add a quality underlay, the stones don’t end so when I take one, another appears there are millions!

Any advice welcome!

M

Hi, I am at the stage where I want to add quality underlay and liner but I keep reading about no rocks and stones. My ground is 50% rocks and stones - see images.

How perfect does this need to be before I add a quality underlay, the stones don’t end so when I take one, another appears there are millions!

Any advice welcome!

M

 

[Chris fish mom]

Marco, if you have access to llama or alpaca farms they may have crap fiber from shearing that you can line your pond with. I also grow rocks and lined my pond with several years worth of crap fiber (short and matted dirty from their legs and head, not worth the effort to clean for spinning). Some animal owners just throw away all the sheared fibers . You might reach out to farms in your area.