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My Backyard Pond/Waterfall Build


MMAX
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One thing to think about with the bog, is that if you don't go with EPDM, or the same liner as the rest, the bog might end up leaking more than you planned, and affecting the rest of your yard in ways that you didn't plan. There is also the long-term viability to be aware of as well. Poly might be ok for a couple years, but will begin breaking down and might only last 3-4 years. Do you want to be re-building something then if you could have done it initially for a little more money buy less work?

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One thing to think about with the bog, is that if you don't go with EPDM, or the same liner as the rest, the bog might end up leaking more than you planned, and affecting the rest of your yard in ways that you didn't plan. There is also the long-term viability to be aware of as well. Poly might be ok for a couple years, but will begin breaking down and might only last 3-4 years. Do you want to be re-building something then if you could have done it initially for a little more money buy less work?

Is it worth spending the extra cash buying 45mil EPDM when every book I've read says to punch holes in it for drainage? Seems like a waste of money. Isn't there a 20 or 30mil that would work?

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One thing to think about with the bog, is that if you don't go with EPDM, or the same liner as the rest, the bog might end up leaking more than you planned, and affecting the rest of your yard in ways that you didn't plan. There is also the long-term viability to be aware of as well. Poly might be ok for a couple years, but will begin breaking down and might only last 3-4 years. Do you want to be re-building something then if you could have done it initially for a little more money buy less work?

Is it worth spending the extra cash buying 45mil EPDM when every book I've read says to punch holes in it for drainage? Seems like a waste of money. Isn't there a 20 or 30mil that would work?

Hey MMAX, I am not quite sure what kind of a wetland you are building that you would need to put holes in your liner. You should not need to in a properly constructed wetland/bog on the edge of a pond. Just one hole small hole in a liner can cause major property damage over an extended period of time and not to mention the cost of the water being wasted. You will not be saving any money only spending more and more to fill the pond and bog. I have seen this happen many times over the years.

The wetlands/bogs that I have built for customers and projects I have built with other contractors over the years we have never put any holes in the liners at all for wetlands/bogs. Are you using the wetland/bog as the filter? If this is the case, where are you putting the pump? I totally agree with African Fever to go with proper 45mil EPDM. It will last for decades. Possibly longer if properly installed. I would also use one piece for the pond and wetland/bog rather than two different ones. Seaming two different ones can be challenging. If you would like more information on how we install wetland filters let me know. I know that you are doing a ton of research on this and that is GREAT. Your project looks fantastic and I would like to you succeed with your vision. :thumbs:

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I'm not using the wetland as a filter so I'll go with a separate piece of liner for it. I didn't really think of the property damage aspect of it, just assumed that if the books said to punch holes in the liner then that's what you had to do. What I will need help with is determining the correct liner size for my stream. I don't really know where to start measuring so I get the right size.

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Some more pics...

I don't think I'm going to go down to 4 feet. I've hit straight sand and the depth here is about 38". I think that's deep enough.

Fishing001-2.jpg

I'll carry that 38" depth around the left side and keep a shallower area on the right to create a beach area for birds and other wildlife to come down to.

Fishing002-1.jpg

That's one big a$$ pond, bigger than I expected. You kinda get the size looking down on it.

Fishing003-1.jpg

If anyone in the Red Deer area needs any good black dirt or sand let me know. Come with a truck and I'll help you shovel it in. It's the right price too...free.

Fishing004-1.jpg

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Aside from taking care of a few roots sticking out here and there, I think I'm finally ready for underlay and liner. Re-designed the far end of the pond with a few planting shelves at different levels and I'll stack some flat rocks on the tip against the bog for a shallow area for birds. Digging out the bog will be a piece of cake. I'm only going down 2 feet so a good hour more of work and the digging will be complete.

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CIMG2080.jpg

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Looks great so far, especially for being all hand dug.

Not too sure if you're planning on putting fish in or not, but a 'small bench for birds and wildlife' also means a 'small bench from which fish will disappear'.

Just out of curiousity, but why are you still going with a separate liner for the bog?

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It's going to have 2, maybe 3 trout in it so they'll be able to take care of themselves. It was just a small beach for birds to come for a drink or a bath or a frog to jump in without having to climb the rock ledge. I'm not using the bog for a filter or an overflow, it's purely cosmetic. Something I can plant cattails and native wetland grasses in to give the area a more natural look.

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Looking GREAT!! :beer:

When we do bog areas, for plants and wildlife as you are doing, (not ones for bog filters and such) we generally keep them pretty shallow. We go down 2 feet total in the deep areas for the ponds in the city(CITY BYLAW) and the wetland area we generally dig less than a foot. When we put the gravel in the bog/wetland area it is only about 4 to 6 inches gravel (don't want anaerobic gravel, it STINKS!) and about 4 to 6 inches of water. We add a few stones that the birds can sit on and bath that are just below the waterline a couple of inches. The birds really like the shallower water areas so they can stand in it to bath. Short legs on them you know. :)

Way to cool MMAX!! :thumbs: and thanks for posting the pics!

Edited by Natures Corner Store
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