Berms & Shelves

[Mmathis]

I've asked these questions somewhere in the past, but my memory .... Anyway, maybe some other newbies have the same questions.

I know there are no magical numbers, but as a general rule:

1 - how high & wide should your average edge-berm be? Rules of thumb?? In general, I think we'll have minimal risk of yard run-off into the pond, but we do have clay soil and sometimes the yard can "stand" in squish for a day or so after a good downpour.

What's to keep the berm from being eroded and undermined by rain water?

2 - depth & width for shelves & ledges

 

[addy1]

I have a inch to two inches above ground level on the uphill side of the pond. Did dig down around 4 inches, added some gravel in a trench to path the water around the pond. Must have worked, no issues.

I would go by how high the water is in your yard after a good rain fall, 1 inch, 2 inches etc, build your berm higher than that.

The berm should not get eroded or undermined if you don't have the running river of water hit it during a rain storm. I do have some "streams" that come down our slope, but during the build I sloped the slope to path the water away from the pond.

My one shelf (bog wall) is around 2 feet down. Great depth for lilies and other plants, the heron has stayed off it. (it is narrow).

 

[Mmathis]

Well, I just posted this under my "leveling" thread, but meant to put it here -- so now it's in BOTH places... Oh, well!

OK, just thought of another "berm" question. Should the non-pond edge of the berm gradually slope into your yard area, or should it be like a little "hill?" Trying to imagine it both ways as far how to lay/stack the edging.

Really getting excited as we are SOOOO close to having an actual POND in our back yard! Yea! But, alas, my next 3 - 4 weekends will be taken up with Boy Scouting activities -- I'll have one Sunday, 2 weeks from now where I'll be there with hubby to help. But on the plus side, one of those weekends we'll be on a canoe-float trip in Arkansas... Get it? Arkansas, ROCKS! [shhhh! Don't let the "rock police" know]

 

[addy1]

Find some good ones! rocks that is.

I have mine sloping in. It does not really matter it is your viewing preference. If you want you could have it like a hill with rocks butting up to the non pond edge, stacking the rocks on top each other than over the top of the berm back down into the pond. IE it would look like a rock surround. Put plants in among the rocks to break up the rock look.

Or just have it slope into the yard, cover with creeping plants.

 

[j.w]

When I built my pond I built it up on a hill of dirt so it sits higher than the yard and then when I put the edge around it I also made a berm around the edge so it just gradually slopes downward with the liner over the top of that berm w/ rocks on top hiding the liner. It has settled some from the rocks and I should go back and take some rocks off and maybe shove some more dirt under the liner to lift it up more so higher again. But no problems w/ much dirt running in............maybe a bit where it settled more than other spots but nothing I really notice. Water is clear.

Neat trip you get to do and free rocks on the side! I won't tell on ya,lol! I'm a rock thief to the fullest extent! I have a pile waiting for me in the tree farm down the road I collected!Need to ride my bike in there w/ the side bags and such to carry them all back here. One can never have too many rocks IMHO,lol!