I've created a couple of ponds in the past and I'm getting ready to do
my biggest and best yet. The area I would like to put the pond has
two things going for it, as far as creating a natural, clay-lined
pond:

A - The area I'm now in is fairly heavy clay.
B - The water-table in the area where I want to site the pond is very
close to the surface.

My home is on a deep well, but recently I discovered an old,
concrete-lined, hand-dug surface well and am planning on using it for
the auto-fill on the pond... even so, I don't want to be filling the
pond, 12 hours a day to keep it full.


I have a few questions....

1 - How can I be sure the water will STAY PUT in the pond? The only
thing I can think of is to dig it and fill it before I do any
landscaping or detail work and see how it holds water. Is there a
better way?

2 - Will I have to worry about the entire pond being overtaken by
natural plants? How deep should I make it to where most vegetation
won't just move in and take over?

3 - What is the best way to install a pump intake and a drain? If I
dig an extra deep trench, place in the piping, and compact the
dirt/clay around it as I bury it, will that keep the water in? I
don't want to have the water leaking out along the outside of the
plumbing.

4 - Should I simply forget the drain and keep the plumbing for the
pump/waterfall/filter along the bottom surface of the pond?

5 - Are there any good web sites that talk about creating a 'natural'
pond?


This will all be in a Pacific Northwest (usa) meets Japanese Garden
setting when it's done. This pond will have no Koi in it....and
possibly only one or two gold fish.

I'm planning a koi pond near the house, but that's AFTER this one is
done...



THANKS!

James, Seattle (more or less), Zone 8a