How to dam a stream. How to make a pond in a ravine with your own hands
Many summer residents try in every possible way to decorate their site by digging ponds. This is not difficult to do if you know the technology of action. The main thing: take your time. In this article you will learn how to make a pond in the garden without effort, as well as the features of arranging a dam.
How to dig a pond in a ravine with your own hands
To dig a pond in a ravine with your own hands, you need to choose a suitable place. Choose areas that are away from plants and trees. Fallen leaves and branches should not pollute the pond. You should also choose places that are well lit by the sun. However, they should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
Did you know? The tallest dam in the world is the Dickens Dam, which is located in Switzerland. Its height is 285 m.
Try to locate the pond in a low area so that after precipitation and melting snow, the moisture flows into the pond and does not spill over the entire territory of the site. Quite often, a pond is dug next to the log, then it will be filled thanks to the stream.
Other features to consider:
Layout
First of all, you need to plan the site. If you make the pond deep, it will be too cold. Digging a small pond causes it to begin to bloom.
Experienced gardeners recommend making a pond 2.5 m wide and 1.3 m deep. To facilitate the work process, you can use special equipment.
Work process
The operating technology is as follows:
How to make a pond from a stream in a ravine
If you decide to dam a stream in a ravine, then follow these instructions:
How to design a ravine for a pond
To create a ravine for a pond, you need to cut off all the steep walls. It is best to do this before building the embankment to prevent soil from getting into the water.
Important! Aspen panels are necessary to ensure that over time the earth does not slide back into the reservoir.
The actual embankment should be slightly higher than the plan. The optimal discrepancy is 8%.
How to make a dam
It is best to immediately make a dam during excavation. You can use a stream or catchment for this. It is recommended to block the reservoir in the narrowest part.
The technology is as follows:
The width of the embankment should be 1–1.5 m. This is necessary so that the structure can withstand the flow of water. The dam can be filled after the dam has stood for a few days to secure the structure.
So, now you know how to make a beautiful pond at home. Try to choose the right place to work to avoid unpleasant situations. If all the steps are performed correctly, you will be able to decorate your garden with unusual ponds.
How to build a dam for a pond. How to make a dam
Irrigation of cottages and gardens requires a lot of water, but there are not always natural bodies of water nearby. If we all work together, we can create a common pond by building a dam.
You will need
- - Clay;
- — Soil;
- - Peat;
- - Dernina.
Instructions
1
First you need to choose a place for the pond. Using a map or on the ground, determine a place that will have a large capacity and a large catchment area. The drainage area is the area from which storm and melt water flows; the larger it is, the more water will flow into the pond. It is good if a large capacity is achieved by depth with a small mirror and a small dam size.
2
The bottom and banks of the pond should consist of waterproof or low-permeability soil - clay, loam. The banks should not be too flat, as many small places are formed that are overgrown with grass - the water spoils, the pond becomes shallow. Banks that are too steep will quickly wash away. It is very good if there are springs at the bottom of the pond or above it, which will replenish the reservoir with fresh water.
3
Start making a dam in the narrowest place of a stream, beam or ravine - this way you will have to do less excavation work. To prevent them from eroding the dam, there should be no springs in its immediate vicinity. First, dig a ditch at the location of the dam and fill it with well-compacted clay - this is the dam lock. Then a clay wall is made, which is buried in the bottom and walls of the ravine - this is the screen of the dam, and the part buried in the bottom is called a tooth.
4
For the construction of the dam, use loamy or sandy loam soil with a clay content of 30-40%. You can determine the suitability of the soil in this way - take a glass and fill it halfway with soil, stir well, after 2-3 hours the mud will settle and the sand will settle to the bottom. Measure the sand layer and the clay layer, if the sand layer is 30 mm and the clay layer is 20 mm, this means that the soil contains approximately 40% clay.
5
The crest of the dam must be one meter higher than the highest expected water level. The width of the dam is calculated based on whether it will be pedestrian or roadway. The width of a 4 meter high pedestrian dam will be approximately 3 meters. The steepness of the slopes depends on the type of soil - with a higher clay content they are steeper. The dam should not be built in frost and rain. Watch out for tree roots getting into the soil; when they rot, holes will form through which water will escape. Strengthen the surface of the dam with turf with tightly grown small grass. On the side of the pond, instead of turf, it is better to take peat - it is a durable, rot-resistant tire.
note
Turf and peat are sewn to the dam with willow twigs.
Helpful advice
A lair is dug at the bottom of the dam to accommodate fish when the water is released.
Strengthening the pond dam. Gabions
Carrying out work with gabions is simple and economical. The advantages of using such structures include the following:
It is not difficult to make such a design. In this case, you should follow these recommendations:
The gabion structure reaches maximum strength parameters after 5 years of use. During this period of time, the coastline becomes one with the landscape.
Box-shaped
It is possible to make gabions yourself. For this purpose, metal mesh and wire are used. In this case, you will be able to save money. However, the manufacturing process takes time. A box-shaped structure is perfect for strengthening the bank. When making gabions, you can use welded joints or tie them with wire. The first ones are considered durable. They can be quite large.
When choosing the second connection method, it is worth making a smaller product.
The height of the structure is 30-40 centimeters. Its length should be 1.5-2 meters, and its width should be 1. When making it yourself, all procedures should be done at the intended location of the gabion. It is also recommended to fill it with stones. When purchasing ready-made gabions, special equipment will be required.
Cylindrical
To make cylindrical gabions, a softer mesh is used. Double torsion steel is suitable for this purpose. The result is a design that resembles a so-called candy. Cylindrical gabions are made faster than box-shaped ones. They are made 2-4 meters in length, 65-95 centimeters in diameter. The resulting structures are placed along the coastline, making them a kind of embankment. Usually 2-3 tiers filled with stones are enough.
Gabion matrix
This term refers to flat and wide structures. They are convenient and highly efficient. Such gabions should be laid in 1-2 layers. To do this, do the following:
After 1-2 years, compaction of the stones is observed. As a result, voids will appear in the structure. There is also a risk of the mesh sagging. Adding new stones will help solve the problem. It is worth choosing their sizes correctly. This is done taking into account the cell size.
How to make a pond with your own hands for fish farming
Fish can be grown in a variety of types of bodies of water, both natural and man-made (lakes, small ponds and reservoirs, exhausted quarries and swimming pools).
To breed fish at home, it is necessary to equip a special reservoir, while observing certain requirements.
Selecting a location
First of all, hydraulic and fish breeding requirements must be observed. The structure of a reservoir for keeping fish has significant differences from swimming pools for decorative purposes. Recommendations for arrangement are shown in Figure 1.
When equipping reservoirs for breeding, the following rules must be observed::
Figure 1. Rules for arranging a fish tank The size of the reservoir is determined not only by the number of fish grown, but also by the size of the personal plot. They are often used in combination (not only for growing fish, but also for watering or breeding waterfowl). There are several types of ponds: dug, channel and diked. Bunded ones are considered the best, since it is easier to create natural conditions in them. Construction options are shown in Figure 2.
To set up a pond, several important conditions must be met.:
Figure 2. Options for constructing a pond and treating its walls and bottom When choosing a location, pay special attention to the soil. The soil must have low moisture permeability. Otherwise, the water will simply be absorbed by the ground. In terms of soil, clayey, loamy and meadow areas are considered the best. If the site has predominantly sandy soil, the bottom and walls of the reservoir should be covered with film and lightly sprinkled with earth.
Types of ponds
An important condition for the operation of reservoirs is the provision of water. Its quality and quantity will subsequently become the decisive factor determining suitable varieties of fish (for example, trout requires the cleanest water without foreign impurities and odors). To determine whether the water is suitable for dilution, you need to submit appropriate samples to the laboratory.
There are several types of ponds depending on the method of water supply:
More useful recommendations on the arrangement and water supply of a pond are in the video.
There are several types of reservoirs intended for fish farming. For example, you can use peat quarries and workings. To improve the quality of the soil, the bottom of such quarries is covered with lime. As a rule, such models do not require the installation of hydraulic structures, since filling occurs using groundwater. However, in such reservoirs it is impossible to drain the water, so to prevent water from blooming and polluting the bottom with silt, you need to ensure that the fish population does not exceed the norm.
Preparatory stage
If you decide to build a pond on your site, do not rush to start work. First, plan a pond on paper, taking into account the features, wishes and financial capabilities.
Site selection
In addition to personal preferences, when choosing a site for arranging a pond, consider the following factors:
- Safety. Locate the reservoir at a distance from buildings in case of flooding of the foundation, basements and basements due to damage to the integrity of the pit or rising water levels in the spring.
- Relief. Natural irregularities allow you to create a multi-level reservoir. And on a flat area it is possible to realize all your ideas.
- Lighting. Choose a place so that one part of the reservoir falls under the shadow of buildings, and the other remains open to the sun's rays. The lack of shaded areas leads to algal blooms and low oxygen levels.
- Electricity supply. To operate an artificial reservoir, equipment powered by electricity is often used.
- Water supply. Streams and rivers flowing nearby, high-lying groundwater, and underground wells are suitable for filling the pond with water.
- Water quality. Conduct a suitability test for the fish you plan to breed.
- Priming. Examine its composition in the selected area. In order for the pit to maintain the water level, the bottom must be at least 30% clay or loam. It is also possible to construct a pond on sandy soils. Waterproofing comes to the rescue. The banks are also being further strengthened.
- Vegetation. The trees and bushes on the shore of the pond look picturesque. But leaves that fall into the water cause the pump to break down and the development of putrefactive processes in the reservoir.
Pond layout and sketch
Before drawing up a sketch, decide on:
- The location, size, shape and depth of the pond.
- The steepness of the slopes. They are additionally strengthened at an angle of inclination of more than 45°.
- Methods of water supply, drainage and cleaning.
- Purpose, design features.
- Aquatic life (plant and fish species).
- The amount of sun on the area allocated for the pond. The more it is, the deeper you dig the pit.
Plan a bottom topography of three or more levels:
- Mark the first terrace at a depth of 30-45 cm for shallow water plants;
- the second – 70-100 cm for deep-sea greens;
- the third - to maximum depth.
The minimum width of each terrace is 30 cm.
Before developing a pond design, find out where the communications are located on the site so as not to affect them. Once all the points have been taken into account, start creating a sketch. At this stage:
- analyze technical features;
- identify all the weak points of the project.
Computer programs usually come to help in creating a sketch, but if you do not know how to use them, draw the drawing on paper. The more details and details you add, the easier it is to work with the sketch in the future.
In the drawing, reflect the following points:
- The contour of the reservoir in two projections: top view and sectional view. Indicate all parameters: area, depth in different areas, length and width. Don't forget to add the slope angle.
- Draw the bottom landscape in detail.
- Draw a diagram of water supply and sanitation. Indicate the location of the pipes, the width and depth of the trenches, and calculate the water consumption.
- Designate areas designated for fish feeders, ladders, filters, vegetation, and other planned equipment, facilities, and areas.
- Plan the pond so that one slope is gentler. In shallow water, the water warms up faster, and fry like to gather there.
Size calculation
To breed fish for sale, the minimum surface area of the pond is 55 square meters. m. Large reservoirs require significant expenditure, and small ones require constant maintenance.
The size of the pond depends on what kind of fish and how many you plan to breed. Aeration and water filtration are also important. Data on the number of fish per certain area of the pond are shown in the following table:
Fish breed | Quantity, pcs. | Area required for cultivation, sq. m |
Silver carp | 5-10 | 1 |
One year old carp | 5-10 | 10 |
Carp 2-3 years | 2-5 | 10 |
White amur | to 10 | 100 |
Yearling catfish | to 10 | 100 |
The depth of the pond depends on whether the fish will spend the winter in the pond. If the answer is yes, the bottom of the pond should be deeper than the frost line. Find out the average annual ice thickness in your area and multiply by 1.5. This will give you the freezing depth.
Required materials and tools
For the reservoir you will need materials based on the method of arranging the bottom. For a pond without waterproofing, the following will be useful:
- shovel;
- roulette;
- rope;
- hose;
- clay and turf;
- putty knife;
- plastic tubes;
- wheelbarrow for removing soil.
When artificially retaining water in a container, waterproofing materials and related tools will be added to the list:
- for film: the film itself;
- brackets for fastening;
- geotextiles with a density of 300-350 g/m;
- boards;
- glue or soldering iron for joining seams;
- insert;
- cement;
Calculate your strength depending on the size of the pond. Determine whether you will dig the pit yourself, hire workers, or call in special excavation equipment and a dump truck to remove the soil.
Dam structure
The soil, rock-soil dam consists of several parts. In cross section it looks like this:
With another construction method, the entire structure can be composed of homogeneous permeable soil (sand, sandy loam, gravel). Clays and other rocks that retain moisture are not used in the body of the dam. They can be used to make a dense base for a structure or a clay castle.
A highway or railroad can run along the top of the dam. In this case, the height above the water must be appropriate so that the canvas does not flood even at the highest water level (at least a meter above high water). The width depends on the width of the road and must correspond to the design stability parameters.
What everyone should know about vibratory hammers
For other dams (in country gardens, private farms), half a meter above the water level is enough. The width of the ridge varies: in a small pond - about a meter. The ratio of the width of the sole to the height of the structure is 2.5 to 1.
In high slopes, to increase stability, horizontal steps are made - berms, in increments of 2-8 meters.
Dam construction technology
Regulatory requirements for dam construction:
- for construction, permeable soils with high resistance to compression and shear loads should be used;
- During the backfilling process, the soil is thoroughly compacted;
- slopes must have static stability and protection from erosion and exposure to atmospheric factors (frost, wind, rain);
- water filtration through the dam body should not reduce stability;
- draft - within the limits of regulatory requirements, should not lead to water overflowing over the crest;
- During settlement, cracks and voids should not appear in the structure.
Stages of dam construction:
- The beginning of dam construction is the removal of the upper humus bottom layer.
- Leveling the site, installing a clay sole. In swampy soil you need to dig a ditch, fill it with clay, and compact it.
- The core of the structure is also made of clay. The height depends on the height of the design water pressure. The distance from the ridge to the top of the core is greater than the freezing depth to avoid frost heaving of the clay.
- A sheet piling wall is installed according to the design markings.
- The soil is poured, leaving open areas for the drainage and water supply pipes. The filling is carried out in layers of 30 cm with careful compaction of each layer.
- The water supply pipe is installed above the future water surface.
To install the reinforcement, metal profile sheet piles (Larsen sheet piles) are used. Each element is equipped with tongue-and-groove locks on the sides, with the help of which the piles are connected into a solid structure.
A section of several sheet piles is assembled on the shore, after which it is carried by a crane boom to the diving site. Sheets are loaded in one of the following ways:
- driving with a pile driver and hammer;
- vibration method (using vibratory hammers);
- indentation (on soft ground);
- combined methods - vibration impact, vibration compression.
We know everything about sheet piling
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DIY fish pond without film
The simplest fish pond that you can build with your own hands is a structure with a dirt bottom and walls. The pit must be carefully compacted, but still this structure is considered not strong enough and comfortable for fish, so it is better to use film as the main covering.
Figure 6. Bottom drains: a - regular (1 - grate, 2 - riser, 3 - flaps, 4 - dam, 5 - deck chair), b - simplified (1 - head, 2 - deck chair, 3 - valve gate, 4 - winch, 5 - fish catcher), c - drainage without riser (1 - hole, 2 - shield, 3 - rod for lifting the shield, 4 - grooves for the movement of the shield, 5 - concrete head, 6 - dam slope)
In fact, the technology for constructing a pond for breeding fish from film and without it is practically no different at the initial stage. Differences appear only at the end, when the bottom and walls of the pit are covered with polyethylene.
Peculiarities
The most important feature of creating and arranging a pond is the correct choice of location. It is desirable that the soil be clayey, since such soil retains water well (Figure 8).
Figure 7. Types of fish traps
In addition, it is better to build a reservoir on the southwest side so that the water is warmed by the sun for at least 4 hours a day. It is not advisable to locate the pond under the shade of deciduous trees, as falling leaves will pollute the pond.
It is important to correctly calculate the depth of the reservoir. The optimal depth is one and a half meters, but it is better to increase this figure to two meters, and if you are going to grow carp, then to 2.5 meters. This feature must be fulfilled so that the fish can be in the pond not only in summer, but also in winter.
Construction technology
To make a pond on a fish breeding site, you need to follow a clear sequence of actions.
Step-by-step instructions for building a pond include the following steps:
Figure 8. Stages of constructing a pond without a film. At the final stage, landscaping of the pond is carried out. A special substrate is placed at its bottom, in which aquatic plants are planted. You can also decorate the bottom with stones or broken pots if you plan to grow not only fish, but also crayfish. After this, you can begin installing the pump, filling the pond with water and stocking the fish.
Types of fish ponds
Fish ponds are divided into types based on natural factors and the wishes of the owner. They differ in the type of water supply, stages of fish growth (spawning, feeding, growth), and the material of the bottom of the reservoir.
Without waterproofing
If the bottom of the pond is made of waterproof soil - clay and loam - and the groundwater lies high, to equip the pond, simply dig a pit and lay it with turf and clay.
The advantages of such a pond include:
- speed of work;
- cheapness;
- maximum naturalness.
Disadvantages:
- rapid siltation;
- Suitable only for a certain soil composition.
With film
The bottom of the pond with permeable soil is covered with PVC film. When choosing a material, pay attention to:
- Thickness. The rule applies: the deeper and larger the reservoir, the thicker the waterproofing film. For ponds up to 1.5 m deep and 4-6 sq. m - 0.5-0.8 mm, for deeper and larger ones - more than 1 mm.
- Size. To glue less, buy 1 or 2-3 pieces of material.
- Integrity. Check the film for holes and cuts before installation.
Among the advantages they note:
- the cheapest material for the bottom;
- minimum physical effort;
- the pond is immediately ready for use.
Minuses:
- fragility - after 5-7 years, or even earlier, the bottom of the reservoir has to be redone;
- requires preparation of a pit, removal of stones that can cut through the film.
Plastic
A plastic insert is another way to solve the issue of bottom waterproofing. Choose a container of any color you like. Check for integrity to ensure there are no cracks.
Advantages of the insert:
- ease of installation and maintenance;
- strength and durability of plastic.
The disadvantages include:
- restrictions on the shape, bottom topography and size of the reservoir;
- Small commercially available inserts are only suitable for breeding ornamental fish.
With concreting
A pond with a concrete bottom is the most durable. Other benefits:
- resistance to damage;
- practicality;
- the ability to create a pond of any shape and size.
Pouring a concrete frame requires more physical labor and financial investment than all previous options.
design, installation and strengthening
Our construction company carries out work on the construction of a dam with reinforcement of slopes with metal piles in Moscow, the Moscow region and other regions of the Russian Federation.
A dam is a trapezoidal earthen embankment (or concrete structure) on the territory of a reservoir, the function of which is to create a barrier to the free movement of water. An analogue of a dam, only with a simplified design and designed for lower loads. Dams are often constructed from reinforced concrete; the main material for dam construction is soil.
How to order the construction of a dam in our company
We sell sheet piling and install sheet piling throughout the Russian Federation. We carry out all the work starting from cycle zero:
- hydrogeological studies, initial soil assessment;
- pile testing;
- design;
- installation and strengthening of the structure;
- when constructing a temporary dam - dismantling the wall at the end of use, removing and purchasing the sheet piles. In case of redemption, we will refund you up to 80% of the original cost of the material.
We carry out all types of work that require the installation of sheet piling walls:
- fencing trenches for communications, construction pits;
- strengthening the coastline and any hydraulic structures - dams, bridges, piers;
- underground sewers, landfill fencing, etc.
Creating a pond without concreting
A pond without concreting is created using the same technology, but since concrete is used to strengthen the walls and bottom of the reservoir, you will have to find an alternative arrangement if you do not plan to use concreting.
In this case, you can simply thoroughly compact the soil in the reservoir or cover the bottom and walls with film. The latter method is considered the best, since plastic film greatly facilitates the process of cleaning the pond in the fall.
Peculiarities
There are no significant features that distinguish the construction of a pond from film and without concreting. To do this, you also need to choose a suitable place with a flat area and dense clay soil (Figure 9).
A prerequisite is to calculate the size of the reservoir. On average, 10-20 individuals need 10 liters of water. Based on this indicator, you can calculate the volume of an artificial reservoir and determine the optimal area.
Rules
According to the rules, construction of a pond without concreting begins with markings. It can be made using sand or a cord that is stretched around the perimeter of the future reservoir.
At the next stage, they begin to dig a pit. Its depth should be 2 meters, but for further arrangement of the bottom, the pit is made a little deeper. After this, in the case of using concrete, the bottom and walls are filled with mortar, but if you do not plan to use concrete, you need to carefully compact the bottom and walls, or cover them with thick dark plastic film.
Figure 9. Construction of a home pond without concrete
In the future, they will begin to develop the banks and the reservoir itself. The banks need to be strengthened so that the soil does not slide into the pond and clog it. A special nutrient substrate is placed at the bottom and aquatic plants are planted.
When arranging a pond without concreting, it should be borne in mind that this design is considered the simplest in the construction process, but in the future it may be difficult to clean the pond from silt, so it is better to use film or concrete as the main covering of the bottom and walls.
If the water in the pond does begin to bloom, the tips from the video will help you cope with this problem.
Are you building a pond? Make no mistake!
There is probably no point in convincing anyone that a pond in the garden is good. Water attracts everyone’s attention like a magnet and even in photographs always looks mysterious and alluring. Is it any wonder that today a reservoir has become an indispensable attribute of the “gentleman’s set” of any design project for the development of a new plot of land or the reconstruction of an old one.
Pond in the garden. Photo by Valeria Ilyina
Unfortunately, as a result of a formal approach to business, one garden becomes similar to another. Professional designers churn out gardens like they bake pies; they actually turn out cloned. To be honest, I am closer to the gardens of amateurs, who, although they are guilty of some amateurism, still attract more with their ingenuous soulfulness.
We invite you to familiarize yourself with Peacock photos, descriptions, nutrition, reproduction
To make the path to beauty shorter, let's try together to analyze the characteristic mistakes that are surprisingly repeated in many bodies of water, and analyze their nature. And after that, we will step by step analyze all the subtleties and secrets of quickly, easily and economically creating a reservoir that is ideal for your garden. So, the most typical mistakes.
How to arrange drainage
A drainage system is the most common and effective method of permanently draining a swamp in a summer cottage or near a country house. Drainage ensures the outflow of water outside the land. Typically, open or closed drainage systems are installed. There are also deep and point drainage, but they are used less frequently. The point of such drainage is that the water is discharged through a pipeline outside the site.
Open drainage
Open drainage is a system of ditches located on a slope. Through them, water flows into drainage wells or beyond the boundaries of the site. The distance between them is at least 6 m. It is better not to do them around buildings, this can lead to deformation of the foundation. Such ditches are made with sloping walls, the depth is at least 40-50 cm.
A variant of such a system is backfill drainage. The bottom of the ditch is laid out with geotextiles, then filled with gravel or stones to 2/3 of the depth. Fine gravel is poured on top, and then a layer of sand and soil.
The easiest way to drain the area is with trenches filled with gravel Source strojdvor.ru
This method is most often used if the soil is clayey. It helps drain water during floods and heavy rains, preventing the soil from becoming saturated with moisture. For soil with a lot of sand, this system is not used. This method is also not suitable for high groundwater levels.
The disadvantages of such a system include a reduction in the usable area of the site. This can be avoided by breaking a ditch near the fence. In addition, such trenches quickly become clogged with debris and leaves, and they have to be cleaned regularly.
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in landscape design and gardening.
Closed drainage
A closed drainage system is a more complex but effective way to remove excess moisture. It will quickly help remove water and prevent its further accumulation. This method is also used to lower the groundwater level.
Closed drainage is installed using special PVC pipes buried in the ground. There are holes on their walls through which water from the soil enters them. To prevent clogging, the pipes are wrapped in geotextile. They need to be buried below the soil freezing level. The ditches are located at a slope, directed towards drainage wells.
Stone beads
The most common mistake in decorating a garden pond is rounded cobblestones laid out around the entire edge, like beads. Most often such beads lie in one row, but some manage to stack two rows on top of each other.
Cobblestones laid out in a row do not hide the edges of the form and look unnatural. This method of laying stones will never look natural, not to mention the fact that it is completely impossible to decorate the film or side of a rigid structure. So the multi-colored “monists” lie on monstrous black banks, and no matter what beauty you arrange around, such an aqua garden will serve as a silent reproach to the owner.
When relaxing on the banks of rivers and lakes, try to pay attention to how nature “lays out” the stones, and what you like and remember most. Typically, small fractions serve as a background, and larger fractions stand out texturally in contrasting groups.
The stone for decorating a pond must be carefully selected. Photo by Valeria Ilyina
Conclusion: the stone for decorating a pond must be carefully selected. It is advisable to use a stone that is uniform in type and color, but varied in size. This does not mean that the pellets are completely unsuitable, but in order for them to “play”, you need to work with them even more carefully.
Video description
You can see how to properly arrange drainage on a site in this video:
The step-by-step work on arranging a closed drainage system looks like this:
- First you need to plan on paper the optimal passage of the ditches. They should be located no closer than 2.5 m from trees.
- Then mark the area according to the plan.
- Dig trenches.
- Pour a layer of 10-15 cm of coarse sand.
- Lay geotextiles and pour gravel on it.
- Lay pipes wrapped in geotextile.
- Fill the space around the pipes with medium gravel until there is 20 cm left to the ground level.
- Cover with the edges of geotextile, fill the trench with small pebbles and soil.
To install a closed drainage system, special pipes are laid in trenches Source landscapevkazan.rf
Calculation of water volume
Due to incorrect calculation of the volume of water, the construction of a ringing stream may fail. It should be taken into account that the pump pumps water over a fairly large distance, which is equal to the duration of the stream. On the way back, the movement of water slows down due to the fact that it goes around stones and plant stems.
Diagram of a stream filled with water
If you decide to calculate the volume of water yourself, then take into account the area of the base of the stream, the height of the water column in the stream and its volume in the hose laid under the stream and supplying water to the highest point of the source and plus the volume of the lower pond.
Wrong size
. A small puddle located somewhere near the fence or at the entrance to the garden and sandwiched on all sides by lush and beautiful garden plants, no matter how hard you try, will always look miserable.
The size of the reservoir must be correlated with the surrounding space
But this does not mean at all that a small body of water (for example, in the form of a spring) cannot decorate the garden at all. Simply by choosing this or that image, you need to correlate it with the surrounding space. If you don’t have room in your garden for a large pond, perhaps a selection of miniature ponds: a dozen simple ideas will help you find a solution. A successful example is also presented in the publication Saucer of Water as the completion of a dry stream.
Source
Dam construction technologies
Depending on the load the hydraulic structure will bear, the material for constructing the dam can be:
Rules for the construction of an earthen rampart
When constructing an embankment dam, a common misconception is the use of homogeneous chernozem, sandy or clayey soils. Chernozem and sand allow water to pass through, acting as a kind of filters, while clay easily erodes and forms cracks when temperatures change. Through them, spring floods easily penetrate into the coastal zone, causing damage to farmsteads or the natural ecosystem. A mixture of loam and sand is best suited for building an embankment.
In how to make a dam on a stream with your own hands correctly, adherence to a certain technology plays an important role. For the construction of an embankment, it is more practical to select the narrowest point of the future dam. This will save effort, time and reduce material costs.
Before starting construction, you need to measure the maximum depth of the man-made reservoir, the cross-section of the bed (width multiplied by depth) and the speed of water flow. This is necessary in order to calculate the volume of water carried by the stream per unit of time (liters per second). Based on these calculations, it is possible to determine the dimensions and material for the dam structure. During excavation work, it is better to redirect the stream flowing along the bed of the lake to another channel by digging a ditch parallel to the flow of water.
Stages of building a hydraulic structure from soil
Concrete enclosing structure
It is appropriate to erect a concrete dam between the cascading ponds. For concreting, you need to choose waterproof cement or add liquid glass and PVA glue to the mixture for greater concrete strength. The finished structure can also be impregnated on the outside with liquid glass.
The dam should be reinforced with 10 mm rods, a 40x40x5 mm angle and masonry steel mesh. During construction work, the construction area can be fenced off on both sides with sides made of soil to prevent water from entering the workplace.
Drainage design for establishing water exchange in the pond
Overflow of a man-made reservoir leads to its volley release, which can cause significant harm to nearby areas. In order to avoid critical situations, and also to be able to drain the pond along with the dam, a drainage system should be constructed. The simplest and most effective in this regard is the “Monk” design, first used in the fisheries of ancient monasteries.
Subtleties of constructing the “Monk”
The Monk spillway should be installed at the deepest point adjacent to and level with the dam. Two hydraulic structures should be connected using a special bridge.
The drainage structure consists of a riser and a deck, hermetically connected to each other at right angles. In the riser, it is necessary to place adjustable holes for water overflow, the control levers for which are sand boards. The monk consists of two levels: in the first, water is collected from the bottom of the reservoir, and from the second it is poured into a special drain pipe and discharged into a ditch.