By Bill Lane, Savio Engineering, Inc.

Multiple levels add visual interest to the pond and are easier to maintain. As you dig for the pond use a long 2-inch by 4-inch plank and a level to make sure the rim of the pond is perfectly level from each edge. If there is any discrepancy, the liner could be exposed and vulnerable to deterioration and abrasion. For larger ponds drive a center stake and use it to pivot to all sides. To adjust the rim, rework the high side or build up the low side slightly.

The technologies available to create easy-to-install, easy-to-maintain ponds have dramatically improved in recent years. This is all great news if you?EUR??,,????'???re a landscape installer with an interest in installing garden ponds. The only challenge that remains is how to get into building your first pond and how to finish a project with money in your pocket. We?EUR??,,????'???ll walk you through a few of the basics here.

Have a Plan

No matter what size pond you are constructing, the fundamentals always remain the same: location, water containment, and filtration. If you create a plan that addresses each of these areas before you turn the first shovel of dirt, you will have won half the battle.

When installing the liner, cut a piece to fit over the entire waterfall with about a 12-inch overlap. The pond liner and waterfall liner need to overlap. If it?EUR??,,????'???s necessary to use more than one liner, make sure the pieces overlap at the waterfall and that the liner extends higher than the level of the water in the fall.

Position the Pond

Choose a location that allows the pond to be a part of everyday living. To get the most enjoyment out of the pond, make it a focal point that dominates the view from the home. Place it so that it can be appreciated from high traffic areas: the kitchen, living room or upstairs deck. An open, gradually curving design encourages good water circulation and will help prevent stagnant areas that collect debris.

Level the Site

Careful attention to site leveling will create a more professional finished product and simplify the installation process. Failure to level the pond can result a high side with too much exposed liner or worse, a low side that must be rebuilt to hold in water.

Black foam doesn't add any strength to the rock work - it does however seal up gaps between your stone work to create a fuller, more dynamic waterfall cascade. Without black foam water has a tendency to seep out of sight beneath and between stones. (In a natural streambed - silt, leaves and mud would eventually build up behind the rocks to give you the same effect.)

Keep it Smooth

Avoid placing loose rock in the very bottom of the pond; a smooth bottom pond is easily cleaned with a net or pond vacuum. By contrast loose gravel ponds will often require annual draining to prevent the build-up of toxic levels of waste.

Excavating an Easy Care Pond

A 1,500-gallon pond will typically take a crew of three laborers two to three hours to dig. Soil from the excavation can be used to give height to the waterfall and to provide backfill for other areas. The depth of the pond should be no less than 24 inches. This allows fish a place to winter over outdoors and to escape from heat and predators in the summer. Multiple levels add interest and provide containment areas for fast growing aquatic plants. Slope these shelves toward the deepest point of the pond to create a collection area for debris and fish waste. At all costs, avoid placing loose rock in this area of the pond; a smooth bottom pond is easy to clean with a net or pond vacuum.

The Johnston residence in Albuquerque, completed two years ago, shows terraced levels, gently sloping shelves and skimmerfilter detail from this blueprint.

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Liner Care

Taking care of the liner during installation will result in years of reliable service. It is crucial to maintain an awareness of your crew members?EUR??,,????'??? boot treads, roots ?EUR??,,????'??? anything that might result in a puncture. Use a good quality geotextile fabric as underlayment for the pond liner. Scrap underlayment should be used under large rocks and gravel beds to prevent punctures or abrasions to the liner.

Rockwork for Professionals

Unless you are building a formal pond, try to avoid the necklace effect common to most amateur ponds by selecting a good mix of rock sizes. Nothing makes a dynamic statement like a number of strategically-placed large boulders.

Prior to positioning the liner and filling up the pond, you can warm up the liner by stretching it out in the sunlight. This often can soften up the material. A seam can be made, if necessary, by using the solvent cement and method recommended by the liner manufacturer. With your crew, spread the liner loosely over the hole. Flapping it up and down will force air under the liner and help float it into place.

Spice it up with a Waterfall

Waterfalls oxygenate water and create the sights and sounds people associate with a pond, therefore you?EUR??,,????'???ll want to spend some time building it right. For best results use expanding black foam to seal gaps in rockwork. Without this sealer water has a tendency to flow beneath and between rocks instead of over them.

Biological Filtration

Microscopic beneficial bacteria are at the heart of the filtration system ?EUR??,,????'??? the biological filter provides a controlled environment for them to flourish. Plants are not nearly as efficient filtration as these single celled organisms and should not be employed as anything other than decoration. A new style skimmer filter combination may be all the filtration necessary for ponds less than 1,000 gallons.

Biological filters use bacteria to take ammonium and nitrites in the pond water and convert it to nitrates and thus continue the purifying nitrogen cycle. This biological filter can be situated at the bottom of a water garden or in a remote location, connected by intake and outlet pipes. A remote tank may be easier to maintain, but it also requires more space and expense.

Skimmerfilters

Skimmerfilters are a must-have item for easy maintenance. A properly installed skimmerfilter will remove up to 85 percent of debris from the surface of the pond. This results in a huge decrease in maintenance for the pond owner. Systems with integrated UV clarifiers are excellent for controlling green water (customers?EUR??,,????'??? No. 1 complaint) and will dramatically decrease the number of water treatments necessary to keep the pond water clear. The trick if there is one, to a successful skimmer install is to install it after the pond has been filled with water. This allows you to choose a good aesthetic water level for the finished pond. It?EUR??,,????'???s unfortunate to see pond installs where the equipment goes in first and the rest of the install becomes dedicated to making the equipment installation work visually.

Pick the Right Pump

Pumps create beautiful flowing waterfalls and streams but more importantly provide water circulation and aeration. For best filtration the pump needs to circulate the total volume of pond water every one to two hours. Oil-less solids handling pumps are preferred because of fish safety and ability to tolerate debris.

Put the Finishing Touches on the Project

The creation of a professional looking installation hinges on the finishing touches. Add terrestrial plants and other landscaping to soften the edges of the pond and integrate it into the surrounding landscape. Within the pond, use marginal and aquatic plants for bog areas and the interior of the pond. It?EUR??,,????'???s good business practice to bid the pond and landscaping separately. The rule of thumb is a 2-foot border around the water feature. Landscaping beyond this area should be subject to another contract.

The technologies available to create easy-to-install, easy-to-maintain ponds have dramatically improved in recent years. This 3,000-gallon pond was constructed over the course of two days with a four-man crew. The soil was rocky. There were a number of sprinkler lines and a tree that had to be relocated to accommodate its placement.

Add BacteriaClean up

The pond may be cloudy at first from the accumulation of rock dust and debris ?EUR??,,????'??? but this will clear in a matter of hours. Add beneficial bacteria to jump start the ecosystem. Spend time while your crew is cleaning up the jobsite to explain basic equipment maintenance to the homeowner.

Keep it Simple

As they become more experienced, many installers have a tendency to design complicated systems. (Big waterfalls, long stream beds, complex filter systems, specialized koi ponds, etc.) There is endless room for creative expression in even the simplest of installations just as there is endless room to lose profits in projects that become difficult to finish. Remember, the longer you stay on the job the lower your margins will typically be. The simplest systems are almost always the most profitable and ultimately the best received in the eyes of the customer.

Use Quality Products

Provide the most professional service and product possible. As a pond builder you are an elite leading member of a relatively small, yet rapidly growing industry. For the long-term health of the pond industry and the continued stature we as pond professionals enjoy it is every pond professional?EUR??,,????'???s responsibility to provide product that will keep our customers happy and contribute to their lives in a meaningful way. This means the systems you install should contain only the highest-grade filtration, liner and pump products available. Avoid products that look homemade or jury-rigged. Avoid pumps and electrical components that are expensive to operate. The pond design should not only be based on how quickly you can get it done but how satisfied your customer will be in one, five, 10 or even 15 years down the road. There is a rule in business that says if you have a happy customer, he will tell three to five friends about the quality of your services. If you have an unhappy customer he will tell 10 to 20 of his friends!