Hi

Maybe a daft question but here goes anyway.

Would I be stupid to put a pond in a garden that can get quite saturated with water? I ask because I remember reading somewhere that the reason Milton Keynes has so many lakes/ponds is too help balance the watertable that was disrupted by so much development.

Or would adding a pond just make a piece of wet ground wetter? Which seems logical to me but .. hey, whadda I know!

zippo4 wrote:
Hi

Maybe a daft question but here goes anyway.

Would I be stupid to put a pond in a garden that can get quite
saturated with water? I ask because I remember reading somewhere
that
the reason Milton Keynes has so many lakes/ponds is too help
balance
the watertable that was disrupted by so much development.

Or would adding a pond just make a piece of wet ground wetter?
Which
seems logical to me but .. hey, whadda I know!



No, if your land is so wet that just digging a hole creates a
permanent pond without your having to use pond-liners, a pond won't
add more water than is already there. In any case, a lined pond that
you have to fill up won't do any harm. If the top of the liner is
below soil level it may top up naturally.

You've got a golden opportunity on your hands to make a really
natural-looking pond with a boggy area around it. Many ponds look
unconvincing because they lack these wet margins. You can add
stepping-stones, or, if the area's big enough to need it, slightly
raised paths or wooden walkways. It'll look absolutely wonderful.

There are several books: it'd be a good idea to check out the library
before buying.

Mike.

The message
from zippo4 contains these words:

Maybe a daft question but here goes anyway.

Would I be stupid to put a pond in a garden that can get quite
saturated with water? I ask because I remember reading somewhere that
the reason Milton Keynes has so many lakes/ponds is too help balance
the watertable that was disrupted by so much development.

I don't see how a lot of ponds and lakes will alter the water table in
the long term. This is a function of how much water enters the system
against how quickly it leaves it - by whatever means.

Or would adding a pond just make a piece of wet ground wetter? Which
seems logical to me but .. hey, whadda I know!

No. The water's there if it's there, and a natural pond with (say)
puddled clay liner will not make the surrounding soil any wetter unless
the water table drops, and then the water dissipates very slowly, and
far from being a problem in that way, will mean that it has to be
topped-up.

In your position, I'd go for it. My garden's like a rasher of bacon, and
planning a pond is fraught with - roots and pipes to the septic tank,
and old concrete paths.

Dammit.

A pond with an impervious liner like polythene or butyl rubber will
(effectively) have no influence at all.

Ponds are great for wildlife, and the amphibians which will be attracted
will help you to keep down slugs and a lot of pesky insects. To see a
toad making a meal of a daddy-long-legs makes you realise the value of
table-manners.

And to see patrolling dragonflies is reward enough, without considering
the benefits of their noshing your airborne enemies too.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
...
zippo4 wrote:
Hi

Maybe a daft question but here goes anyway.

Would I be stupid to put a pond in a garden that can get quite
saturated with water?

The one problem you probably will have is that the water from the ground
could spill into the pond. This can make the water nutrient rich and lead to
massive growth of blanket weed. So make sure you have the pond slightly
raised in relation to the ground.
The possibilities for growing some wonderful marginals make me really
envious...

"zippo4" wrote in message
...

Hi

Maybe a daft question but here goes anyway.

Would I be stupid to put a pond in a garden that can get quite
saturated with water? I ask because I remember reading somewhere
that
the reason Milton Keynes has so many lakes/ponds is too help balance
the watertable that was disrupted by so much development.

That sounds like pure nonsense.

[snip]

Franz

"zippo4" wrote in message
...

Hi

Maybe a daft question but here goes anyway.

Would I be stupid to put a pond in a garden that can get quite
saturated with water? I ask because I remember reading somewhere
that
the reason Milton Keynes has so many lakes/ponds is too help balance
the watertable that was disrupted by so much development.

I seem to recall that the MK area had more than its fair share of
lakes and ponds before the area was populated with concrete cows. It
was the scene of much clay (for the brickworks) and gravel excavation.
The under soil clay layer meant that any hole in the ground just
filled up. Then latterly there was some 'flood plain' creation to
alleviate the effects of the R. Ouse overflowing - as was its seasonal
nature.

--
ned

Thanks for the replies guys. All I have to do know is design the garden!!