DIY pondbuilding

If you have decided to make the leap into a do it yourself pond building project, here's the way I developed. I learned how to build slightly above ground after realizing that run off can get into the pond water and kill plants and fish. You will not find this method anywhere else and I am convinced it is the best and used it all the years I was in business.

By building the sides of the pond above the surrounding ground, you also keep the pond down in the ground where it belongs. That might not be a problem in Minnesota or Montana, but here in soggy New Orleans it is a huge problem. We are below sea level, as all of you now know after you saw Katrina inundate us. We have always known it. The water table is just barely below the surface, so when we dig, we often hit water.

When it rains, the water level rises and can push the pond water out of the pond. The water level goes back down and you are convinced your pond has sprung a leak. With the extra weight of the above ground water, the pond liner and therefore, the water stays where it belongs. Build your own pond. Have a good time and think of the bragging rights.