"STREAM" IDEAS AND INPUT, PLEASE

Mmathis

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Well, small streams, anyway. Straight vs. curvy ....? Long vs. short....? Are there advantages other than looks?

Will be / am working on 2 projects, one of which I'm almost close to getting ready to be at the "stream" stage and thought I'd put this out for some input from you guys.

1. Re-doing the "turtle bog." It will now be physically separate from the main pond, but still fed by the pond pump, same as a regular bog. The return to the pond will be via a small stream that the turtles will have access to, if they choose to. Guessing it's about 10' from the "turtle bog" to the pond. I have the room to stretch it a little bit and make some little curves. Keep in mind this is sort of in miniature, not a HUGE stream. And in my drawings, distances are deceptive -- there's not as much room as it appears. Also, there is just a small elevation difference between the bog & pond -- just enough for a downhill flow.
image.jpgimage.jpg

2. Second is the main bog that we hope to work on and finish in the spring. Thinking of 2 options for the water return, and posting drawings of those. I'm liking the "side" flow idea [if I can figure out how to do it]. But can you see advantages or disadvantages in the construction aspect? The bog is going to be elevated above ground, maybe 12"-18" with landscaping bricks.
image.jpgimage.jpg

[[[LOL! Was just looking at these pics I drew, and I can tell that I'm in a medical field -- first ones look like a kidney & bladder, and second ones look like ovary and uterus! BTW, retired OB nurse...]]]
 
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Lucky turtles you have. I don't know a whole lot about construction but the one you say you like the idea of (the side flow) you'd probably want to bring it farther out, away from the bog. Make sure to put a large enough berm inbetween that area, so water stays well inside the stream. I hope that makes scense.
 
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Personally I would make the stream straight because it will be much easier to lay the tarp. Then you could make it appear to have curves by placing rocks etc in such a way that it doesn't look straight. I also think laying the tarp straight would have less issues down the road with clogs and overflowing etc.
 
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dieselplower said:
Personally I would make the stream straight because it will be much easier to lay the tarp. Then you could make it appear to have curves by placing rocks etc in such a way that it doesn't look straight. I also think laying the tarp straight would have less issues down the road with clogs and overflowing etc.
I agree with diesl on this.
 

Mmathis

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dieselplower said:
Personally I would make the stream straight because it will be much easier to lay the tarp. Then you could make it appear to have curves by placing rocks etc in such a way that it doesn't look straight. I also think laying the tarp straight would have less issues down the road with clogs and overflowing etc.
Good point! Thanks!
 

Mmathis

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pond42sliders said:
Lucky turtles you have. I don't know a whole lot about construction but the one you say you like the idea of (the side flow) you'd probably want to bring it farther out, away from the bog. Make sure to put a large enough berm inbetween that area, so water stays well inside the stream. I hope that makes scense.
Ah, if only they knew how lucky they are -- silly turtles! My entire pond was schemed around them! I wanted a safe, sanitary watering hole for them (box turtles, so not aquatics). And now you have a 3000 gal pond with goldfish! And the turts are about to have their own private BOG! Most expensive "free pets" I've ever owned, LOL! And I'm loving every minute I spend on them :)

See my revised pics. The new bog (not the one for the turtles) is going to be one structure, but on one side will have an outer wall and an inner partition to keep the bog separate from the stream. But it'll all actually be the same structure. Again, drawings aren't anywhere near to scale.

For the "turtle bog" part, maybe I can just make a slight curve....?

Final drawing is a rough layout of the pond in our yard, so you can see its relationship with the turtle habitat.
image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpg
 
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Personally I would add some curves to the stream - it looks more natural and it helps control the flow of water. It also gives you some nice spots to tuck some aquatic plants into areas where the water pools. In nature, small streams are rarely straight - they work themselves downhill by finding the path of least resistance. But your turtles will appreciate it, straight or curvy!
 
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I'd like a bog, but we built a stone patio on one side of the pond and landscaped the others. I'm thinking about a container bog….something attractive.
 

Mmathis

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Now, I know this is going to sound like a dumb, "you-shoulda-been-able-to-figure-that-out" question...

But how do you join the end of the stream with the pond edge? Not talking about liner, but the actual, physical stream-meets-pond. Have tried looking this up on the net, but what I'm finding is too general, or deals with how to place rocks, etc.

Don't know if my drawings will help or not.
 

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I was going to say that too... leave a lip hanging over the edge of the pond for an actual separation of the water. Even so, you may still have fish that find their way up into the stream. I even have minnows that try to work their way up the steps of my waterfall!

Also as said before, laying the liner down flat, but building your edges into easy curves will work best. I did something similar for mine, starting with a piece of liner about 5 feet wide, and digging a lazy S-curve for my stream. And you want to think ahead about how you will line the sides of the stream. I ended up re-digging mine last year because I originally had a shelf along the edge where I placed large river rocks, and over time the rocks still fell in. Last year I went back and dug the sides out so the whole stream was much wider, and the sides had a slop to them instead of leaving a shelf. This allowed me to stack the river rocks starting from the bottom, and sloped back to the edges. Much stronger now, and the rocks don't fall in every time a dog tries to get a drink.
 

Mmathis

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But how does it actually JOIN with the pond? That's what I'm having trouble seeing. If my drawings help, which one?
 
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You could make it as simple as a flap of liner hanging over the edge, from the stream down into the pond. Since you're talking about a spot that the water is flowing over, rather than a spot that is completely submerged, the transition from one liner to another does not have to be a water-tight seal. I did this with my waterfall -- the pond has its own liner which is above the water-line, then the waterfall has another piece of liner which was draped over the waterfall area like a sheet. The water simply runs off the waterfall from one liner to the next.
 
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Hi,

Here's the waterfall/stream that i ended up with after a couple of iterations...

[sharedmedia=gallery:images:3725]

The feed comes in at the top drop over two waterfalls to the small basin at the bottom, and then flows back into the pond over the paving stones. The liner for the stream just overlaps the pond liner, and i tried to position the slabs so that the last one is actually underwater, and covers the joint of the pond liner/stream liner. It works well, but i still have to seal a couple of places.

I like the side feed idea in your drawings above, and would also recommend laying the liner straight and creating the curves with rocks and stuff.

If i had to do this again i'd change....

1. The top basin - should be bigger, and needs more thought on how the feed enters the basin, i.e. ornament, hidden etc.
2. More planting area left and right of the streams.

Hope this helps. Can you post some pics of the Turtles?

cheers,

Andy.
 

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FREE pets, TM? I saw one in a local Big Al's recently.... about two or two-and-a-half inches long. $600.!!!!! :faint:
John
 

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