Drainage part II

[bwgan]

Bore dda,

Diolch i bob lwc Bill.

We had quite a bit of rain yesterday afternoon and evening, which wasn't too bad as I got to see the football and have a beer or two.

This morning after walking the 'ghost' I went to check out the pond to get some more photos. I nearly had an MI, the pond was completely full!

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[bwgan]

You can see from the last pic that I was starting to dig a drainage ditch and putting it into a soak away near the rickety fence. I clearly wasn't expecting that amount of water to come from the pond!

I've been reading bits on the web and this is my plan. If I excavate the pond into an inverted triangle shape and put my drainage pipe at the point of the triangle (bottom of pond, then fill with gravel and then soil would that work. Then run the pipe down the garden into a drain?

I've attached quick plan, please excuse its crudity

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[Richard Moore]

Paul,

What you are proposing looks good...sort of. Depends on a number of factors. First, I assume you can keep a good slope on the pipe all the way to a suitable drainage area? Make sure you use a good size gravel or "river rock". The small, fine stuff probably won't drain fast enough. And then you might want to put some type of fabric over the "gravel" before topping with soil to prevent that soil gradually clogging up the system.

You absolutely, positively sure you don't want a pond? I heard they can be very nice with a few Koi...and maybe a little fountain and a gnome with a fishing rod.

BTW...was I right about the dogs name?

[bwgan]

Hi Richard,

The dog is called Oshy, but his nickname is bwgan. The breed is nicknamed "Grey ghost" which in Welsh translates to Bwgan Llwyd, so yes you were right. A good slope on the pipe won't be an issue as it will be coming down a hill. What size gravel would you recommend?

I would love a pond but the wife doesn't and we have future plans for some decking where the pond is now as that is the last part of the garden (back yard) to catch the sun in the evenings.

Paul

[Richard Moore]

I don't think we would even call it gravel around here. More like crushed rock or the smoother river rock. I'm really no expert on this but I would tend towards something that averages at least 1" in size. And...the pipe lying in the bottom of the trench at the pond should be perforated to allow water to enter along it's length rather than just at one end.

What you are creating is basically a French Drain. You can search online for installation advice. Here's a couple of photos..

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I left in '74 but you are still talking to an Englishman from just outside London. I hope that's OK! []

[Scottpat]

Heck, with that amount of work I think I would find a way to convince my wife how nice a pond would look!

The french drain sounds like it will be the only way to accomplish what you want. You might want to verify that the water you will be getting rid of will not cause any problems for your neighbors. In the States we are responsible for water we direct off of our property.

[bwgan]

We discussed the pond tonight, and think that if the French drain doesn't work we could end up with problems, so we are going to go down the lines of a pond!!! Who knows anything about ponds?

[Scottpat]

Originally posted by bwgan

We discussed the pond tonight, and think that if the French drain doesn't work we could end up with problems, so we are going to go down the lines of a pond!!! Who knows anything about ponds?

Smart decision!

With the amount of water in the pond and given that it looks like it is being fed by a spring, you can not use a liner. The clay should hold the water fairly well, as you have discovered!

Pond plants should be in containers to help prevent them from naturalizing into the clay bottom of the pond. Koi make great pond fish as do common goldfish. Being that that you are in the UK, you need to check with local fish/pond suppliers to see what is used in your area.

[Bill Kibbel]

I have a rather large pond with about 70 koi. I also have experience battling with the wife to keep it. She frequently brings up filling it in and installing a patio. The kids are on my side - the only reason it's not a patio yet.

[bwgan]

Hi guys,

Been talking to various people about ponds, springs etc. If I keep the pond as it is I can put Koi in it but won't be able to see them as they will cloud the water up quickly. I would need to put a filter on it, but it will clog up with clay etc quickly, so was told to put nothing in it. The pond has now completely filled back up again, but it never overflows (touch wood), this must be to do with the pressure equalising, think its called table-ing. So todays question is if I were to put a liner in the pond, would the weight of the water pushing down equal the pressure and stop further water leaking aorund the liner?

Cheers