Digging A Hole For A Rubber Lined Pond

It seemed simple enough. Turn an underused storm drainage channel into a full time babbling brook with a pond. The internet directions made it look as easy as could be.

First I removed a ton or so of rounded river rock sitting on top of landscape fabric. Then I started digging. I hit rocks and clay and construction debris. I hit more rocks. I'll be needing the rocks for the babbling brook so I suppose close by rocks are better than rocks that need to be toted in. Clunk. Boing. Thud. I hit another boulder sized rock.

A few flowers and the bird feeding station had to go for the headwaters of the babbling brook. We can't have bird seed and bird effluvia floating down the babbling brook.

I've been digging, shaping, grading and checking the slope for five days. Boing. Thud. Clank. I hit another rock.

A filter fall was installed and plumbed in at the top of the babbling brook. The rain gutter downspout tube was extended to enter the stream at a lower elevation. The babbling brook will have to continue to function as a storm drain.

The deep hole for the rubber lined pond goes here. One rhododendron had to find a new home.

The pond skimmer is set in place and 70 feet of 2 inch pipe has been buried from the bottom of the pond to the top of the babbling brook. There were a lot of rocks in this hole.

The pond already holds water and the rubber liner isn't even in yet.

The directions on the internet made building a 50 foot babbling brook with a 16 foot long, two foot deep pond look so easy. Then I hit rocks and clay and construction debris and have ben digging, shaping, grading and checking the slope for five days.

Extra overflow capacity will be added in for the storm runoff that will happen. It is roof water for the most part so it won't be carrying any excessive debris. The pump that will sit inside the skimmer will be plumbed for easy removal and an extra ball valve added to drain the 2 inch return line. I hope I have thought of everything. A float valve for auto filling can be added later if that becomes a need.

I have never built a pond and babbling brook before. This is a first. I sure hope it flows right, babbles pleasantly and doesn't leak.

When I am sure of that the aesthetic placement of rocks can begin. Then the planting areas can be mulched and planted. The flagstone path in this section will be relayed in a more naturalistic free form style. It will probably be spring before the pond gets planted and stocked with goldfish. Yes, goldfish not koi.

It will be my very first babbling brook with a rubber lined pond. Keep your fingers crossed.