Building a Basic Pond

Adapted from pondkeeper.co.uk

1. Lay out shape
The easiest way to determine the size and shape of your pond is to lay out the shape on the ground using a length of rope or hosepipe. Try to position the pond so it is sheltered from cold prevailing winds and receives sunlight for at least half the day. Where possible avoid overhanging trees as their leaves and blossoms will fall into the pond. Also avoid areas where surface water tends to collect, or areas with a high water table as this could push up under the pond liner and create problems. As far as the size goes, think carefully about how large you want it. It is said that the biggest mistake is to build it too small, and many times it is actually easier to maintain if it is larger.

2. Level off
Dig the pond or water garden to the desired shape taking care to make the sides sloping rather than vertical. The shape is down to personal preference but it is always best to create a shape that allows natural flow of water. Avoid complex shapes, as this can lead to construction difficulties. To create areas for marginal plants leave steps from 20cm to 40cm deep. For a perfect finish ensure that the top edge of the pond is level.

3. Place the underlay and pond liner
Once the pond is dug and all sharp stones have been removed, place underlay on the base and sides of the excavation and place the liner in position. Should you need to walk on the liner be sure to remove shoes to avoid piercing. Anchor liner in position with bricks around the edge of the liner, not the edge of the excavation.

4. Add water
Run water into the pond gradually, at the same time pulling and tucking the liner into shape to ensure a neat finish. Fill the pond completely and leave overnight to ensure proper settlement. Trim off excess pond liner and underlay, leaving a minimum of 30cm overlap for anchorage.

5. Finish with edging
Complete your pond by adding edging in stone or paving as desired; make sure you allow a small overhang to protect any exposed liner from direct sunlight. If you prefer you can use grass turf, which may overhang and touch the water.

6. Add equipment
Your pond is now ready; it?EUR??,,????'???s time to add your pump, filter, plants, fish, lighting and anything else.

?EUR??,,????'??Build a Pond?EUR??,,????'?? Day at Spartanburg Community College

1. The first step in constructing the site was to lay out on the ground a diagram of the stream?EUR??,,????'???s boundaries and locate the reservoir area.

2. Then, dig the area and the channel area- done by hand to protect existing site features.

3. Next, the pump was installed in the reservoir area and the pipe was connected to take the water to the Biofalls ?EUR??,,????'??spring head.?EUR??,,????'??

4. Once everything was dug, a protective mat was installed to prevent roots or existing stone from puncturing the liner. Then, the liner was placed in the stream bed, and the reservoir was filled with gravel and stone.

5 & 6. Larger, more natural stones were placed at the top of the liner that was then folded back at strategic, natural areas so that students could dig out areas to anchor larger stones. The liner was then put back in place and the stones placed on top on the liner in the depressions. This extra attention to detail gave a more natural look to the stone placement than if the stones had been simply placed on top of the liner with no anchors. Stones for the streambed were carefully selected and placed to create sound and motion that mimicked a rocky brook.