Progress on my Pond!

[Stephen T.]

Thanks,

Honestly, about half the reason I'm building this is for the birds that come in. I really enjoy watching and photographing them. To an extent, it's all one big photo backdrop!

I've made more progress on the stone work, although we need to make another trip to the quarry. It sure seemed like we had a lot of rocks, but they didn't really go far.

 

[sissy]

You need a couple of birdhouses to keep them there with there babies .I love to watch my baby birds learn to fly and watch momma feeding them

 

[Stephen T.]

We have those over by our house, lots of feeders too! We live about 30 miles north of Klamath Falls, Oregon, just off Agency Lake and a mile from a major wetland. The number of birds, resident, and just passing through here is mind boggling. We're finding it a very interesting area, we've only been here 3 years, so still getting to know the area. The Cascade mountains are just across the lake and Crater Lake is only a 40 minute drive away to the north, so much to explore!

 

[addy1]

That is a beautiful area, I was there many moons ago, Crater Lake is really neat.

 

[Stephen T.]

Here's an updated overview of my "pond/stream/greenhouse/sauna" complex. I wanted all these things and have thought about partial integration for years. Since we live in a cold climate in the winter, and can have frosts any month of the year (late July last year, 28 degrees) I decided to sink the greenhouse 42" into the ground. Our land is pretty flat, so the dirt had to go somewhere. So the spoils built up the land for the upper portion of my stream area, as much as 48" in places. The ponds also contributed to the topography.

The greenhouse has about 160 gallons of water/heat storage in the north wall and there's a sauna on the other side, at the same below ground depth. I can open flaps top and bottom on both sides. So, after a sauna in cold weather, I open top and bottom flaps on the sauna side and heat all that water (the space is very well insulated, as is the sauna). Then I can vent some or all the heat for several days, into the greenhouse. The exterior of the sauna is closed in but not at all finished! It's really nice to step out of the sauna now and with the front windows open on the greenhouse, look 5' across at the lower pond, which is only about 18" below eye level!

Next stage? More rocks! It seems like every section takes 3X as many as I think it will, whether in the sauna or now, on the waterfall and bank area along the stream.

 

[tbendl]

How neat!

 

[Stephen T.]

The sauna is especially appreciated after hauling and placing tons of rocks! 3 more loads (our little trailer can only haul about 1000 pounds per trip to the quarry), sure it'll be enough rocks... NOT! They must be disappearing into a black hole or something, I can't believe how many it takes, when trying to get them to look good and fit tightly when dry stacking!

I decided on a narrow "canyon" above the waterfall, cutting through the "hill". The right side will be built up more, although sloping back and around 50 degrees, with layers of rock sticking out, separated by tightly packed soil further up the hillside. Around the bend, the rock wall will continue on the right side.

Here's the view from upstream, looking down my little canyon. The pond below the waterfall can be seen near the top of the image.

I still have to finish the rocks that form the "capstones" on both sides of the waterfall. Gravity will hold them in place, as they are around 150-200 pounds each, but I'll have to use waterfall foam to direct the flow. It will be nice when all the water goes over the falls instead of dribbling down behind and over the edges!

Of course, I can hardly wait to get things planted and growing, but that's at least weeks away still.

Steve

 

[addy1]

That is looking wonderful! I love it

 

[Nepen]

wow I love the canyon!

 

[Stephen T.]

Surprise! I was out looking at my pond and noticed some large lumps on the bottom and sides. I certainly never saw these before today, and I look pretty close daily. Wandering over for a better look, the most accessible was down about 12", my, my... Big snail, lots of big snails. They are about 3/4" long and must have come in with some local water weeds I put in last summer. I can't believe I didn't see them before this! I couldn't get a very good photo, but here's one.

 

[sissy]

I have snails and think they came in on frogs .

 

[Stephen T.]

I've been swamped with other projects, but finally got some more done on my bog. The surrounding rock on 2 sides is now in place, waiting to be planted with small, drought tolerant cover. I've also moved a few hundred pounds of rock to near where they will be placed in other areas. I'm having to work early in the morning, as we've been up in the mid 90s for the last week or so, too hot for me! At least it cools down at night, this morning around 5 am, it was 42 and I was out splitting wood. Then I moved rocks for a while and the sun came out full force.

I should mention, the rocks I'm using in other places are heavy, but here in the surround, it's all pumice, so even the largest weigh very little.

 

[Christopher Caudill]

Beautiful pond, love the rocks and waterfall!

 

[Stephen T.]

It's slowly getting there, but there's a lot to do before it truly looks good. Right now it's mostly potential.

Steve

 

[addy1]

Love pumice rocks, I hauled a few back from Arizona, nice and light!