Pond

[jmbfestool]

Hi!

I have been asked to do a walk way over a pond.

I have done a bit of work for this job before over the years.

Some how I have been roped in to actually doing the entire pond.

I don't know how its happened and I didn't know for sure until the client said while you are digging round the pond area and doing the pond liner can you do some digging here while you have the digger.  Thats when the ball dropped [scared]

I am no pond expert so I have come here to ask for some advice what are the best pond liners and under lays etc

How best to prep the area etc.  The client wants no banking he wants it like a swamp, so the water runs into the grass.

They wanted me to concrete the pond but I didn't like that idea AT ALL!  It would cost THOUSANDS just on concrete alone. Plus I would be worried about it cracking the pond is 600 sq meters and is shaped like a peanut

Cheers
JMB

 

[Bigchasbroon]

I did a little pond with my dad we used a neoprene flexible liner on a bed of sand. That was easy enough but I suppose you'll need to make sure the joins are done properly.

I don't know why I replied I don't really have a clue [tongue]

 

[jmbfestool]

I did a little pond with my dad we used a neoprene flexible liner on a bed of sand. That was easy enough but I suppose you'll need to make sure the joins are done properly.

I don't know why I replied I don't really have a clue [tongue]

Haaahaa

LoL

It's coming as one piece so a fork lift is likely required to get it where I need it.

Not going to be light I don't think.

 

[Davej]

600 square metres! Nuts! !( pun )  That's a bloody lake !  [eek]

 

[Kev]

600sqm !!

I'd be call that a dam or even a lake [eek]

Is there a natural inflow? If not you're going to have a real problem trying to create a swamp edge where you transition from retention liner to earth. You may have to go much deeper and wider and create a natural earth layer.

Curious ... are they planning to introduce some specific birdlife?

 

[jmbfestool]

600sqm !!

I'd be call that a dam or even a lake [eek]

Is there a natural inflow? If not you're going to have a real problem trying to create a swamp edge where you transition from retention liner to earth. You may have to go much deeper and wider and create a natural earth layer.

Curious ... are they planning to introduce some specific birdlife?

Yeah it's not that big the liner needs to be that big.  Actuall size is Little smaller like.

Like you said though I do need to extend for earth and untill I start working I'm not hundred % sure where I'm working too.

No they just have a large garden and they like wild life and just want a large pond with a swampy area on one end. That's where the walk way has to go across as well.

They have installed a pipe which enters the pond area but he says it doesn't work. They have a large garden behind the pond which runs towards the pond and house so he says that should keep it topped up.  I'm not to sure but I did say bring it up.

Not sure what else you can do

 

[Kev]

Well ... if nothing else ... you'll get to include terraforming in your credentials! [big grin]

Honestly ... if that sort of thing was commissioned by a council or the like, the contractor would hit them up for a multi 100K sum.

 

[jmbfestool]

Well started the pond Thursday and worked on it Friday.  Wanted to work on it to day but it rained heavy so went onto another job instead and took scaffolding down in the rain loved it.......

Any way Ill add pictures but first!
The client wanted an Island which was originally made up with the ground clay.  While I was digging I was thinking and decided to remove the island and flatten it all. 

I did this because of a few reasons. 

1. it will make is easier to lay the pond liner and reduce the risk of damage.

2.  the Island took up a lot of floor area under the water level but only would have small foot print above water level.  seemed a shame to waste all swimming area for the fish.

So my first thought was doing a platform on stilts in the middle but then came across floating islands.

  Only thing is I can't find a large one in the UK, they all seem very small!

So I have started to think I might have to make one my self.  Although I rather buy one.

Here is a link to a USA website which do a 18square feet island.  Thats the kinda size I am after or larger.

Here is a link to the website
http://www.columbiawatergardens.com/Islandscapes_floating_island_planter_p/islandscapes.htm

 

[joiner1970]

There's a few shows on TV about ponds lately this is one
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/pond-stars/

They do some amazing ponds

 

[mo siopa]

It may be a bit late to research this, but the larger ponds I've seen being "built" here in the states have employed the use of clay in lieu of a man-made liner.  Water will permeate through the clay layer eventually, but at a very slow rate.  An old college friend put a 1/2 acre pond on his family's woodland vacation home using clay.  It took several weeks/months to clear up but it functions quite well now.  Their pond is not fed by any means other than rainfall and some runoff from the slope above the site. 

 

[jmbfestool]

It may be a bit late to research this, but the larger ponds I've seen being "built" here in the states have employed the use of clay in lieu of a man-made liner.  Water will permeate through the clay layer eventually, but at a very slow rate.  An old college friend put a 1/2 acre pond on his family's woodland vacation home using clay.  It took several weeks/months to clear up but it functions quite well now.  Their pond is not fed by any means other than rainfall and some runoff from the slope above the site.

The ground is made up of clay red clay and doesn't seem to hold water.

The client did look into clay lining the pond but it needs to be blue clay which the client was quoted £12k for I think they said. 

It would also be a lot of work to get all the clay round.

And because it not having a natural water fed supply they wanted something which guaranteed them no water leakage which they thought clay lining might not offer.

I couldn't say because it's not something I do.

 

[jmbfestool]

Hello again need advice please!

One where can I get a lot of water which isn't tap water.... 

Two the liner needs to have soil on top in places and in the shallow area to create a swamp area.

Reading up garden soil is a bad idea because it's to rich.

I need a large quanity of poor quality soil.  Sandy soil which is low in nutrients.

Or maybe a suggestion using a alternative base cover?  I have read about aquatic soil but to me it's seems like it's just a premix of soil and others stuff stuffed into a small bag and sold at a very high price and i need quanity.

Also read sand/gravel/pebbles can be used and plants will grow in it.

I would like soil so to give it a natural swamp feel.

Thank you oh I'll post some pictures

 

[jmbfestool]

[attachimg=1][attachimg=2]

 

[jimbouk]

Is it me or is that really shallow?

 

[jimbouk]

Oh and to answer number one. Wait for it to rain.

 

[jmbfestool]

Is it me or is that really shallow?

Yes it is half the pond well more than half is shallow the remainder is about 1.4m+ deep. The far end the water level goes above the second ledge.

They want half of it to be just swamp land so it's only about 200mm+ deep I think.

It had an island in the deep end which I dug away because I thought although it's a large pond in area it's not actually that big for fish with having a island in the middle.  Hence the reason for a floating island would be best to give fish a better size home.

Thanks for the water advice  [tongue]

 

[Wuffles]

I've always seen pond manufacture as a two year thing. Build it in the dry and wait for the wet to come. Without resorting to "brown water", think there's another grade of water you can get too, you're left with rain water or a big tap.

I worked at a gas fired power station a few years back and the water they used for cooling didn't come from the tap, they bought it from the sewage people, and it was the grade above/below brown, but I am guessing you don't want that anyway.

 

[jimbouk]

Ah ok. Ours is about 3m deep at deepest point. Maybe same size as that one. Took about 6 months to fill up with rain water.

 

[jmbfestool]

Ah ok. Ours is about 3m deep at deepest point. Maybe same size as that one. Took about 6 months to fill up with rain water.

I would have gone deeper but not to 3 meters I think that's deep.

Well the pond measures 35meters long now I think and 16.5meters wide from widest points of the bean shape.

Well I'm up for freeing my self from the job for a while to get onto another job and leaving the pond to it.  Ill start doing the rain dance then!

Clients won't mind I don't think.   

Still need something to fill the shallow area with something to create a mosh area any ideas?

Would silt from another pond or lake be any good?  I think I might be able to get some from an 8 acre lake.    It was quoted £700k apparently to have it cleaned out....  Seems a lot  [eek].... Now that I have become a "pro" in 4 days at doing ponds might go and tell them I'll do it for 650k bargain!

 

[Kev]

Maybe you're thinking of grey water ... Waste, but not sewerage ...