Hi all! My husband is putting in a pond and streaming our backyard in Elkhorn/Omaha Nebraska. We can’t find any information about how deep it can be and if we need to fence it? We had a koi pond when we lived in California but I think this will be a new challenge with the winter. Thanks for any help!
New ponders wife Nebraska
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j.w
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I think a pond that has freezing weather should be at least 3ft deep I.M.O. Fencing and the correct kind will depend on what creatures will want to come in and invade it. I use a short fence w/a tall net on posts to keep out heron and raccoons here where I live. We don't have really hard freezes here and not for long. Perhaps someone here w/cold winters like yours will pop in w/some better advice for you.
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Hello and welcome!
Depth will depend on the frost line in your particular area. I did a search, and it looks like the frost line in your area is 42”………. Where I live (in the Southern US), we rarely have to consider “freezing,” so any depth requirements (here) are aimed at safety and liability. That information should be available to you. You can usually search local and state building codes online, or check with local government sites.
As far as fencing goes, that will depend on individual city codes, so that’s something you may want to check out. Sometimes it depends on the depth of the pond, but if there’s a danger for children or pets, IMHO, almost any depth can be dangerous, so overall safety and liability should be considered. Do you live in a neighborhood vs open country?
Let us know what you find out.
Depth will depend on the frost line in your particular area. I did a search, and it looks like the frost line in your area is 42”………. Where I live (in the Southern US), we rarely have to consider “freezing,” so any depth requirements (here) are aimed at safety and liability. That information should be available to you. You can usually search local and state building codes online, or check with local government sites.
As far as fencing goes, that will depend on individual city codes, so that’s something you may want to check out. Sometimes it depends on the depth of the pond, but if there’s a danger for children or pets, IMHO, almost any depth can be dangerous, so overall safety and liability should be considered. Do you live in a neighborhood vs open country?
Let us know what you find out.
Chicago area here - ponds in our zone are often just 24 inches deep and the fish do just fine overwinter. Deeper than that is by choice but not necessary.