Pacific North West, B.C. Island

[Ella]

I'm in the process of digging a pond!!! Great fun. It'll be roughy 100'x100', with a peninsula and natural looking edges. I'm going for 25-30% of the area to be planted with cat tails, lilies etc. There will be no liner or pump or fountain. The primary purposes of the pond is wildlife resource and humans swimming. For the aquatic planted areas, should I make slopes or shelves? Originally I thought shelves and now I'm thinking gentle/gradual slopes might be the way to go. Slopes would allow the plants to migrate to where they are best suited. Thoughts? And what's a great pond book out there?Thank you!

 

[Mmathis]

Hello and welcome! I would look at nature and see what does best under natural conditions. Without a liner, I would think that any shelves would deteriorate into a slope eventually. Sounds pretty! Be sure to post pics!

 

[j.w]

@Ella

 

[Ella]

Hello and welcome! I would look at nature and see what does best under natural conditions. Without a liner, I would think that any shelves would deteriorate into a slope eventually. Sounds pretty! Be sure to post pics!

Good thinking... Thanks!

Hello and welcome! I would look at nature and see what does best under natural conditions. Without a liner, I would think that any shelves would deteriorate into a slope eventually. Sounds pretty! Be sure to post pics!

 

[GBBUDD]

shelves in any natural pond or lake will have something on the vertical making the shelf. rocks ledge very dense clay.. since your going to be making your base i would stay away from shelves. the main reason being that any rocks or even a retaining wall, these WILL sink and settle into the soft bottom potentially compromising the ability to hold water. if your very successful and mother nature provides clear water due to a spring. you may want those drop ofs for fishing and interest,
i would strongly advice against cat tails in a few short years they can own your pond. anything that grows fast i would avoid. Plants that need time to get established and or are easily removed is the only plants i'd put in a natural pond. The wild life will bring the spores of all the other plants

 

[addy1]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[JRS]

Welcome to the forum. Sounds like an interesting project.

 

[rubyduby]

What an exciting project!