Replacement Pond Build

[GBBUDD]

View attachment 109954
Today I started by cutting the steps into the pond. I'm using 1 more than last time to make it easier to get in and out. You can see it top right. The I started looking at the mounds in the middle and realized that I needed to make that left edge back another 6 to 9 inches. I'm working my way toward the camera position. I have a feeling that I will begin fiddling with the edges all the way toward me on the left and even where I'm perching for this shot. I know, can't leave well enough alone, but one has to do what one has to do.
View attachment 109955
This was taken later after I had shoveled a bunch of the dirt out. As I was cooling off I decided to throw an existing pipe from the last build to see where I'd put the main submersible pump. I'll likely cut off a bit of the flex hose and run the hard pipe a little closer to the pond. I'll need to cut off most of the hard pipe past the 45 degree bend as that's about where the outlet into the top of the stream bed will be. In many ways this is the most fun part - trying to visualize the outcome, making adjustments and being very close to the final phase.

Lots of digging there Johny regardless of the soil type my hat off to you. if I may I might place the submersible toward the center of the pond if your not placing a main drain/ suction drain. it can serve as both ...

 

[johnnyi]

My wife caught an action shot. Nominally the last shovel full of dirt from the bottom and sides of the pond.

If the first picture was the wind up, then this one is the pitch.

In the upper middle of the last shot, above, you may be able to make out the end of the stream bed which I did the rough dig on this afternoon.

This is shot from the right side of the previous picture and I've drawn in the path of the stream coming towards the camera. This is a rough dig and there's more to do.

On another note, I ordered two pieces of epdm this past week - 25 ft. x 35 ft. and 5 ft. x 30 ft. plus underlayment for both. Supposed to arrive this coming week. I also ordered a Laguna Max-Flo 4280 GPH pump that's supposed to arrive today and finally, I ordered a water meter to accurately measure what I've put into the pond when the time comes for the fill. A milestone week.

John

 

[j.w]

You have that pond scraped out to perfection. Not a grain of dirt out of place on the walls! We have sandy soil which likes to collapse if you look at it wrong.

 

[johnnyi]

jw,

That's the upside to the kind of soil we have here and I like that part. The other side is that it can be difficult to get the dirt to move.

John

 

[GBBUDD]

Your making some great progress. Very jealous to the soil type. One question why such a flat bottom no main drain but even if that's the case a pitched bottom will have the fish push the solids to the deeper area for ease of cleaning?

 

[johnnyi]

GBBUDD,

The bottom gradually slopes from north to south (right to left in most images) about 6 inches in about 24 feet of bottom. Waste removal is not a significant issue nor a design constraint in this or my previous build. With the few goldfish and mosquito fish I have, not a lot of waste or plant material waste is created in terms of solids. What is created can be netted off the bottom once every year or three. The stock tank you see in the background of most of the images is a gravity up-flow filter and works quite well. The stream bed at 25 feet long with many small rocks functions as a horizontal trickle tower and does a great job of maintaining water clarity. I'm more concerned about being able to get in and out of the pond without risking life and limb to do clean up and maintenance on plantings, pumps and plumbing. With 3 pumps (just got an additional one last night), one feeding the stock tank and the other two feeding the top of the stream bed, I've got right around 7,000 gph going down the stream for a pond that is probably 4,500 gallons.

Time will tell regarding the new design and I will report back as time goes on. The problems I've had in the past was with string algae in the stream bed. The ratio of sun to shade is significantly favoring the sun in this build versus last time, so water clarity will be a concern.

Bottom drains are more common in large koi ponds but they don't seem so common here on this forum. I've noticed that people here often place their submersible pumps up off the bottom to prevent a pond being pumped dry by a plumbing or stream bed fault and that's what I have done. There's far fewer ponds on this forum with external pumps than I saw on various koi forum that I frequented earlier. Likewise UV filters and pressure filters. Not saying there aren't any here, just less frequently here than on koi oriented forums.

It's like many others have said - build what amuses you/makes you happy. For me, I like the simplicity (and low cost) of my set up.

I love watching your build - it's great! That's a big reason I come here is to see the huge variety of takes on pond design and how so many are wonderful regardless of their design.

John

 

[sissy]

You are like me kept at the sidewalls until they were straight and even .Gotta be straight and even no matter how many times you think it is you look and it is not .Must be a compulsive disorder .

 

[johnnyi]

That is a very likely explanation.

 

[johnnyi]

Made progress this morning on the stream bed. Took off about 9 to 12 inches off the eastern (left from this angle) bank of the stream to improve the viewing angle from the patio which is out of the picture on the left. The next bit will be to flatten out the western bank so that predators can't easily sneak up on bathing birds. Rubber is coming later this week!! It's getting exciting.

The big longer term concern is will the stream/stock tank combo be filter enough for my larger pond build. The answer won't be known until well into the summer if not next season when the environment matures.

Fun times.

John

 

[sissy]

As long as you have plants it will be .I have 2 filters but no bottom drain and no skimmer and my pond is 5000 + gallons

 

[addy1]

Love your walls, I could not do mine that way, every shovel full ran into a piece of shale, move the shale have another hole in the wall.

 

[ShawnInfirmity]

Very nice progress @johnnyi , I've quite enjoyed watching your pond come along.

 

[johnnyi]

My new water meter arrived today. I heard from the trucking company today - the pond epdm will arrive Friday!

John

 

[sissy]

Do you have well water or city water because I do know there are water restrictions where you live .Even here on a well most people doing pools buy water from a company that deliver it

 

[johnnyi]

Do you have well water or city water ...

Sissy,

We live in the city of Sacramento. Historically, residents have had unmetered city water billed as a low flat rate. Within the last 10 or so years it was decided to go with water meters and the associated rates, but the recession slowed the roll out of that and we here are still unmetered though that is supposed to change in the next year or two. Sacramento and the other communities in the lower Sacramento Valley are water self sufficient even in the worst drought years. That doesn't mean there aren't restrictions - the city comes down hard on wasting water and encourages doing xeriscape designs, but the water table is relatively shallow and the water itself is relatively plentiful. Now if we could stop shipping it south to Southern California.... But don't get me going.

John