I want to make a small stream that goes from my back yard to the front
yard. I want a pond at either end and I will recycle the water. What do I
need to know?


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City/county regulations first.



On Thu, 10 Apr 2003 03:12:58 GMT, "Bill" wrote:


I want to make a small stream that goes from my back yard to the front
yard. I want a pond at either end and I will recycle the water. What do I
need to know?


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"jammer" wrote :

City/county regulations first.

Good idea, I'll check today. Judging from the water features in my city,
I don't think it will be a problem.

But what I was hoping for was something like, "I made a stream once and
then spent the next twelve years repairing it because I failed to insert
handy tip here before I started digging."

My thoughts so far:

I don't want much, maybe 12 inches across and 3-6 inches deep,
meandering somewhat through my tropical gardening. But maybe I should
calculate how much water that will take. Evaporation will certainly be a
problem.

Return pipes above ground, maybe hidden in foliage or mulch. There will
be about 150 ft. and I don't want to have to dig to look for leaks.

Law of diminishing returns has to kick in somewhere in the idea of
making it in easily replaceable segments. At some point I will get more
problems with having seams than I would by having to cut out sections if
there is a problem.

Will all my minnows swim to the bottom or the top? I'll have little
quiet areas where they can congregate in midstream.

Should I make a cement foundation? I have sandy soil and I want kids to
be able to get their feet wet without tearing the whole thing up.

How can I keep a sandy shore in spots?

Any experience will be appreciated, I have about 6 months before I can
start. I have to do some work on the house first so I won't get roofers in
the stream while I'm trying to build it....


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"Bill" sez:
But what I was hoping for was something like, "I made a stream once and
then spent the next twelve years repairing it because I failed to insert
handy tip here before I started digging."

I don't want much, maybe 12 inches across and 3-6 inches deep,
meandering somewhat through my tropical gardening. But maybe I should
calculate how much water that will take. Evaporation will certainly be a
problem.

Return pipes above ground, maybe hidden in foliage or mulch. There will
be about 150 ft. and I don't want to have to dig to look for leaks.

I ran my return pipes partially above ground and partially in the stream.
Sounds strange perhaps, but what I did was dig the stream channel, line it
(with the "main" liner), put the pipe in at a convenient place, backfilled
under the liner with sand (to help seal around the pipe), and then put on
another layer of liner, sealed with foam to the first, and then pond rocks
etc for shape.

This has several benefits. The pipe is very protected. If it leaks at
all, it just goes right back into the pond. And it's hidden at that point.

Law of diminishing returns has to kick in somewhere in the idea of
making it in easily replaceable segments. At some point I will get more
problems with having seams than I would by having to cut out sections if
there is a problem.

On their own, pipes seldom develop spontaneous leaks.

Will all my minnows swim to the bottom or the top? I'll have little
quiet areas where they can congregate in midstream.

My experience is that no, they don't leave the pool they're in. I had two
eggs or micro-fry get pumped up into my (upper) veggie pond. They stayed
there until about eight months and four inches (which explains why the
veggie pond never got covered with duckweed... an unlimited supply of
fish-candy makes for VERY fast growth), at which point I caught and
relocated them.

Should I make a cement foundation? I have sandy soil and I want kids to
be able to get their feet wet without tearing the whole thing up.

You probably don't really want the kids bopping around on your pond liner.
They aren't easy to tear but 80 pounds spinning on a sharp rock in the
water might do it.

How can I keep a sandy shore in spots?

You'll need shelves with ledges to hold the sand in. And it won't look
quite like what you're envisioning probably. You get get a half-decent
simulation by slathinging pond-safe caulk onto the liner and then rubbing
sand onto it while it's fresh.

Any experience will be appreciated, I have about 6 months before I can
start. I have to do some work on the house first so I won't get roofers in
the stream while I'm trying to build it....

Make certain you have enough altitude drop from the top to the bottom pond.
You don't need a whole lot, but the stream is more interesting when it's
doing lots of burbling, which requires more. Also use big pipe (2" or
bigger) because friction increases dynamic head which costs electricity and
pump size.

I also suggest building small and shallow several pool-areas in the stream
for use as water-gardens for things like waterclover, rushes, etc.

Mine is at: http://www.fringeweb.com/Ponds/kc/MyPond.html

Bill,

You also may want to check with your insurance
company about liability especially if your home
and property is not totally fenced.

Tom L.L.
====================
"Bill" wrote in message

m...

"jammer" wrote :

City/county regulations first.

Good idea, I'll check today. Judging from
the water features in my city,
I don't think it will be a problem.

But what I was hoping for was something
like, "I made a stream once and
then spent the next twelve years repairing it
because I failed to insert
handy tip here before I started digging."

My thoughts so far:

I don't want much, maybe 12 inches across
and 3-6 inches deep,
meandering somewhat through my tropical
gardening. But maybe I should
calculate how much water that will take.
Evaporation will certainly be a
problem.

Return pipes above ground, maybe hidden in
foliage or mulch. There will
be about 150 ft. and I don't want to have to dig
to look for leaks.

Law of diminishing returns has to kick in
somewhere in the idea of
making it in easily replaceable segments. At
some point I will get more
problems with having seams than I would by
having to cut out sections if
there is a problem.

Will all my minnows swim to the bottom or
the top? I'll have little
quiet areas where they can congregate in
midstream.

Should I make a cement foundation? I have
sandy soil and I want kids to
be able to get their feet wet without tearing
the whole thing up.

How can I keep a sandy shore in spots?

Any experience will be appreciated, I have
about 6 months before I can
start. I have to do some work on the house first
so I won't get roofers in
the stream while I'm trying to build it....


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Date: 3/25/03

I think that you need something deep enough for
the water to drop into for enough water to travel the stream.
I've always thought about burying a container and adding a locking lid. I could
be under a very pretty japanese maple and be made of a waterproofed wood.


k30a