what to do with that eff**** stream ?

Joined
Dec 16, 2010
Messages
181
Reaction score
12
Location
MD
Hi people!

I'm back because my backyard is still a huge headache.
So to re update everybody we bought a house with 3 ponds and a dry stream.

The problem is that all has been built in the idea of collecting rainwater... which of course has made our pond cleanings work useless within the year that followed the cleanings.

Now as I mentioned on another topic our biggest pond will be redone. The edges will be raised. But with the crazy weather recently and the amount of water falling I'm wondering if it's worth it or if even that, is gonna end up being a useless and costly attempt to keep this pond clean and run offs free.

Here is a photo of the stream that collects a ton of rainwater and brings it directly to the pond (this photo was taken before the works last year, since then there is a pump and filtration system that have been added the main run off has ben taken care off but the stream is still a big issue.

So I would like to have your opinions on what would work.

For now there's a liner all along the stream.

Ideally I would remove the liner, dig and flatten the slope of the stream to have the water stay in there instead of flowing in the direction of the pond. I would move dirt along the pond to raise the edge and separate it from the stream.

Now with that scenario rain water would still go right in the stream, but with no liner it should eventually penetrate the ground right and with no slope it should stay in the stream instead of going in the pond ?

I was also thinking of installing a catch basin if necessary and I would have to dig some more (a lot actually) to bring the pipe outside the backyard and where it won't bother the neighbors.

What do you think ?

Does it sound like a good way to get out of all these pond headaches or should I just give up, put some air pump and remove all pump and filtration and let it be a crapy bog full of dirt... (the fish seemed a lot happier with clear water and pump).


Thank you very much for reading..... and all your help I'm seriously going crazy with these ponds.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2003.JPG
    IMG_2003.JPG
    89.7 KB · Views: 349

addy1

water gardener / gold fish and shubunkins
Moderator
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
44,340
Reaction score
29,091
Location
Frederick, Maryland
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
I assume the pond in your picture is the one you want to raise the sides of?

You could, at the end of the stream, dig a catch basin, fill it with rocks, before you place smaller gravel, pea gravel what ever on top of it, place some landscape fabric so dirt does not fill in around the rocks. That would give the water somewhere to go. You could during your pond rebuild put a catch basin around the outer edge of the pond, a few feet deep filled with gravel. I did that on the up slope side of our pond here, any water hits the gravel filled pit and flows around the pond or soaks into the ground. We have had some massive rains, it is still doing its job. I also sloped the upslope side so it would lead water around the pond.

Removing the liner would help too, when you remove the liner you could dig some mini depressions in the stream, little catch basins along the length of the stream. They could be filled with rocks, or even have some plants to use up the water that stands.

I had water running issues in Arizona, we dug 3 catch basins, filled them with rocks, this is 14 years later, they are still collecting the run off from the yard. When we get storms in az during rainy season it comes down fast and flows. Before we did that, we would get 3-4 inches of standing water in the back 1/3 of the yard, the yard was one acre.

I also buried some of that perforated drain piping (black stuff at hd or lowes) in places where I could not get a catch basin dug. Mainly along the upslope side of the stream near the house. That collects water and sends it away from the stream and pond.


Your in md, if you were close enough I would drive my tractor over and dig it for you, but we don't have a trailer for it, would be a slow long drive. lol
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2010
Messages
181
Reaction score
12
Location
MD
haha lol addy thx for thinking of that. I don t even think a tractor would go through our gates lol

For the depressions along the stream yes I'm planning on that and also make it deeper in general.
The catch basins filled with gravel along the stream, do you mean that they have to be real catch basin to divert water away or can they just be like bog areas in the stream ? It will all be filled with the river rocks (a little bit like hen you build a pondless waterfall).

I still might do one catch basin with drain pipes but if I can avoid it it would be heaven.

And yes with that dirt I'm gonna re slope the sides of this pond.

It was supposed to be redone last week but big storms were coming and we had to reschedule. And it's a good thing cos I have to redo this stream in the same time they do the pond.

What a pain seriously.......
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2010
Messages
181
Reaction score
12
Location
MD
and glad your pond didn't suffer too much with the yesterday crazy weather... hope it calms down
 

ididntdoit99

ididntdoit99
Joined
Jun 10, 2011
Messages
865
Reaction score
145
Location
waterloo, iowa
well its all personal preference i guess, but if you want to keep the stream (which i would, and i would set it up to pump water all the times into the pond) you could always just dig a trench on either side of the stream, and all around the pond, maybe a foot deep and a foot wide. fill it with pea gravel. then that trench catches all of your runoff, and it just looks like a nice rock border around the pond.

Also saves you from having to touch the stream or pond at all.
 

addy1

water gardener / gold fish and shubunkins
Moderator
Joined
Jun 23, 2010
Messages
44,340
Reaction score
29,091
Location
Frederick, Maryland
Showcase(s):
1
Hardiness Zone
6b
Country
United States
I think her problem is, If I remember right, is all the run off from the yard ends up going down the stream bed into the pond. When she first posted that suggestion was made, but there was some issue, can't remember..
 
Joined
Dec 16, 2010
Messages
181
Reaction score
12
Location
MD
thx. The stream is barely enough with the heavy rains we ve had here. Trenches around the pond will not be enough. Someone brought up the issues there would be...it s just a work with no garantee. The stream also piles up all mud and debris... (trenches on both sides will just overflow in it) that go right in the pond. I wanna keep the illusion that it goes to the pond but it does need to be separated from that pond.
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
30,782
Messages
508,590
Members
13,043
Latest member
cisifom

Latest Threads

Top