Wisconsin Pond Build

[taherrmann4]

Herz,
Look for a 2" sump pump check valve or a compression check. These don't require as much pressure to push open than a traditional check valve you will find in the plumbing aisle at Lowes or HD.

http://www.deanbennett.com/zoellercheckvalves.htm

 

[j.w]

Neat place you went hiking, like the photo and lucky daughter you have there w/ a pop that will take her on hikes. I was a tomboy growing up too. Mom didn't like that I would rather go fishing w/ dad and dig in the dirt than have a tea party w/ froo froo clothes on, lol! Loved to climb trees and make forts! Now I dig ponds, garden, hike, bike, swim and love the critters..............and pick on t-mann now and then,lol!

 

[herzausstahl]

Sissy and Addy,
Thanks! That is what I picked up (still need an extender pole) and just wanted some confirmation. Wish i would have found it clearanced that much! But got one for $9 clearance at Menards. Walmart here doesn't seem to want to clearance all of the summer products they have left.

Tmann,
Those look like good options that I think I will install next year behind the ball valve I have in place. Can you glue the sump check valves to PVC? If not then I will have to go with the PVC compression check version. Are you using any of these in your pond? Do you know of anyone emptying the lines they run on for winter and then having problems after a winter freeze? Thanks for the info! Was looking into a timer that would fit in an electrical outlet and found one at lowes online so I might look for something similar in the stores here and add it next year with a new outlet connected to it. Then I could plug the pump into that and have it set to run just during the day.

JW,
Yeah she's turning out that way. About 2 years ago I found the back pack by sheer luck at a yard sale for $10 and it was hardly used. Best $ I ever spent. The areas kind of give me ideas to attempt to mimic in my yard to bring some of the nature I find around my home back to it.

These are pictures of the same area we were in that day. Gave me the idea for the stepped part in my stream.

Here's some better pics of the area where I took the picture of us (using the timer on the camera of course). I'll preface these by saying that any time I do anything like this I take my time and only do if I've done it before by myself and know the area. Also she is strapped into the back pack with a 5 point harness similar to child car seats, and if I know I'm doing anything like this I make sure she is strapped in tight. The backpack has all the straps to connect to me like a hiking back pack so it becomes almost like a part of me.



This is the bottom area of the stream where we were hiking.


This is a natural fissure that goes up the side of the cliff (probably 40-50' high).



This is from the bottom looking up through the fissure. It is about a 45-60 degree angle going up with lots of foot/hand holds.



Here's a pic from the top looking down. You can see the area where I took the picture in the back ground. Its a cool outcropping. Just past this point the cliff turns more into a steep hillside. There is a trail going back from where I took the picture, but its too slanted/dangerous to take her on that. Instead I climb up the 10' wall behind me. It's loaded with more hand holds than a rock climbing wall.



Here is the way we go out. She loves it. It is funny because if we are going down a trail and I am going slower to avoid falling she says "Be careful daddy!" And of course I always have my trusty hiking stick! Its light, sturdy, and can support our weight when I lean on it.

 

[herzausstahl]

Oh and JW the best thing about this park called Fonferek's Glen near Green Bay, is that it used to be owned by a family who donated the area to the county so it could be made into a park for everyone to enjoy. You actually park next to the family's farm house and walk past a barn and silo on your way to the waterfall, stream, and trails that go through the area.



Here is the waterfall. It freezes solid during the winter months here.



This is another part of the stream. A large chunk of the stream is just this solid flat rock like in the other pictures.



This is one of the coolest features of the park, a natural land bridge.

Its one of my favorite places to walk through around here. And one of 2 waterfalls in the area. There is a third falls that I know of that is in a really cool place but it is on private property hidden off of a country road.

 

[j.w]

What neat pictures and you guys are so fortunate to have those pretty places to hike to so close to home. Makes me want to get out and hike. Love the stream w/ all the flat rocks. I can see why you wanted to make your stream like that. We are going to Hawaii this month and hope to do some hikes there. Not sure what they have there but guess we will be climbing up Diamond Head if nothing else and must be some pretty places w/ waterfalls to see somewhere there.

 

[addy1]

very pretty place, love the neat rock formations. Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[taherrmann4]

Herz,
I am not using any of these. First my pump is an external which has it's own priming pot so if the pump shuts off it drains the lines back into the pond, this is also nice for winter as I don't have to do anything with that main line since it drains itself. Second there is no need for my setup to have to use this, I will probably just install a ball valve after my pump, so when I shut my system down to clean throughout the season it does not drain all the water back into the pond. I would not use the one that you glue onto the pvc as this will make it hard for when you want to drain it for the winter, you will want to have some sort of access to either take this off or be able to prop it open somehow to ensure that you are able to drain the pipe in the winter (if this makes sense). I have not heard of anyone having any issues with their lines after winter. As long as all the water is drained from them you should be ok. The line that feeds my two creeks starts out by my top waterfall and travels about 20' down a 4' high hill and then goes up slightly about 18" from its lowest point. One of the creeks is tied into this spot so a majority of the water exits the pipe however I was concerned that there was still water in that section of the pipe for a few feet that would not drain out, so I installed a T at that point and put a small ball valve there so when I was shutting the pond down for the winter I just open it up and drain, I leave it slightly open all winter long for any water that may get into there. I take some steel wool and wrap around the end of the ball valve so mice don't get into the pipes.

Those are some nice pics of you hiking with your daughter. That area looks similar to an area my wife, dog and I go backpacking called Red River gorge. It has several natural bridges and formations, we are planning on possibly going there this coming weekend if the weather is nice.

 

[j.w]

Ah yes Tmann I remember those pix and that is a neat place to hike also. I've never seen anything like that around here but I haven't been to a lot of the hikes either. Need to tho, have lots of time now.

 

[herzausstahl]

Thanks Tmann,
That place looks more akin to the formations we have near Wisconsin Dells, really cool. A lot better than anything we have close around here. I will have to look into that, it does run downhill the whole way so I will have to see how it goes. I do have a ball valve now, so I could just leave it how it is, add an outlet with a switch connected to it, and just manually turn it on and off when I want, might go that route for simplicity of set up and if I get tired of it could always upgrade it in the future.

JW,
I would do an online search for hiking where you are going in Hawaii, and yes I am jealous! I was fortunate enough to be taken there by my parents when I was 6 years old, don't remember much, but would love to go back sometime!!

 

[herzausstahl]

Even though we've had highs in the 70s the last couple of days (and a forcasted high of 70 through tuesday) the leaves are still changing color and getting loose so I finished getting my bird netting up and picking leaves out of the stream.

Here's the simple set up, not sure if I'll leave it up all winter or take it down once all the leaves are down. Its just bird netting held in place with landscaping staples.



I got 7 hardy water lily's on sale and one grew. Will see what the others do next spring if they don't come up I will try to dig up the tubors and see if any are good and replant them in a different basket. These came already in soil and pots.

 

[sissy]

I had one lily that the tubers some how grew down and out the side of the planter and could not grow up the side so I was forced to repot them

 

[herzausstahl]

Sissy,
I was wondering if the reason some of them weren't coming up was for the reason the tubers were planted upside down. I was going to leave them till spring and then pull up the ones that didn't bloom and put them in better pots and see if I have better luck. These are solid on the sides and only have an opening on the top. I got them in prepot packages at Menards (like Lowe's, Home Depot) on clearance so I thought I would take a chance on them. Do you prefer soil, pea gravel or cat litter in your pots?

 

[taherrmann4]

Herz,
Try one next year with just tying the tuber around a rock and sink it to the bottom.

 

[sissy]

I use pea gravel as my koi root like crazy through the kitty litter and soil .I put a top dressing of larger lava rock on top to stop the rooting in the plants .I had 3 plants that were planted mostly upside down ,They kept trying to come up.Two of the plants I blame partially on me .LOL COULD NOT TELL TOP FROM BOTTOM

 

[Jennywren]

You have done a great job on your pond, stream,falls and deck.