My Experiences Building My Pondless Creek.
A long term customer of Hughes wanted to share her experience building her own pondless creek. Her journal below is laid out in a question and answer form.
What is the style of the water feature, and why did you choose that style? My creek is a natural looking pondless feature. It is 50 feet long and an average of 3' wide, it runs into a 16' x 4' pondless reservoir that is 3' deep. The reservoir is long and narrow to accommodate the narrow area behind the shed. I chose a pondless (underground pond/reservoir) creek because I already have three ponds (I think that is enough). There is also a lot less maintenance with a pondless feature than a pond. They get a lot less algae and debris in the water therefore you do not have to clean them as often. What specific site challenges did you have? The creek site had some challenges. The first being that there are drainage issues in the winter. So to avoid my liner being pushed up by water flowing under it (the baby whale effect), I had to put a french drain under the liner to direct the water elsewhere. Another challenge was the large roots I had to remove. Two years ago I cut down two trees that were over 40 feet tall. They left behind roots as thick as a human leg. I had to chainsaw them out. (This was the only part of building the creek I had help on). Did you put in a filter? UV light? Skimmer? Because the main body of water is covered - debris and sunlight (the two main ingredients of algae) can't enter the water therefore you should not need any of these items to keep the water clean. What mistakes did you make?
Even though I attended Hughes Water Gardens free seminar before I started the project I did not fully heed what they told me and my advice is to really listen to what they tell you and you will not get into any trouble.
My first big mistake was underestimating my liner length - I was 5 feet short! When you measure a creek bed that curves always measure on the long edge not down the middle. The second mistake was not making the reservoir big enough. It must be a minimum of double the volume of your creek. However, my reservoir was not deep enough and when the water was flowing it lowered the water level in the reservoir enough so it was not covering the pump. So I had to add 4 more feet to the reservoir with a deep area for the pump.
The third mistake was in one spot I did not have a foot overlap of liner over the edge of the creek bed. It was more like a inch. I thought it would be o.k. - it was not. The edge of the liner went below the water line and water leaked out - NEVER SKIMP ON LINER. I had to seam on another foot of liner. Word of advise - avoid the seaming process, it is messy and not fun! What was the most enjoyable part of the building process?
Stacking the rock and making the spill ways was a lot of fun - even though it was hard work. However absolutely the best part is the first time you turn on the pump. I was jumping up and down with excitement. What came out better than expected?
The reservoir - I made it look like a log jam. It has rocks, logs and plants all together in a jumbled mess that looks great!. There is also an easy access hatch so I can get to my pump easily.
How long did it take? Because of some physical and time limitations (I work too much) it took me 3 months to complete this feature. Keep in mind I am a 42 year old women with back and neck problems - I completed 99% the work myself - I think that is pretty cool.
Add-on to Reservoir Creek in process
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Fountain Covers for Winterizing
The
Fountain Cover is designed to provide maximum protection of your cast-stone
fountain that otherwise would be exposed to harsh winter weather and ice damage.
The covers are specifically designed and shaped for fountains and provide
bottom-tie nylon drawstrings for a snug and tight fit.
Manufactured of
durable, reinforced polyethylene, the Henri Fountain Covers are waterproof and
UV stabilized, and they may be reused year after year. Five fountain cover sizes
are available:
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Prepare Now for a Cleaner and Healthier Pond in Spring
Microbe-Lift Autumn Winter Prep helps accelerate the
decomposition of leaves, sediment, and other organic matter during the fall and
winter months. The cellulase enzymes along with cellulase producing bacteria,
are the key to accelerating the break down of leaves, organic matter and sludge
all winter long.
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