pond construction idea

[potatos]

Hi,

on my property, a small stream starts. it is very narrow and shallow, but continuous year round. no fish or anything live in it because it is so small.
at one point it diverges in half into two even smaller streams, then joins back together.

I want to build a pond where frogs and fish can live. Would it be possible to build a pond with one of the casts from homedepot in the middle of one of the smaller parts where the stream divides? the point of this is so that new water would flow into the pond, and then out the other side and continue unhindered, but the current would not be so strong as to flush out the inhabitants of the pond. I do not want any electrical equipment or filters, i want a natural pond. would this idea work? i hope the constant flow of new water would act as an aerator and filter by flushing out waste.

any input, comments,or ideas?
thanks

 

[Lucy]

Sounds good to me, but I don't know about such things.

It might help those who know if you could post a picture of the stream and where you're thinking of adding the pond.

 

[platy ben]

I would have to see a pic of the whole stream before I could tell you

 

[gremlin]

It might be possible, although I think I would go with a more natural type. Maybe just dig out the stream to make a hole for the water to accumulate before it continues on it's way. If you want to line it with anything, then maybe line it with the flexible pond liner instead of a preformed pond. It might actually work better to just reinforce the sides and the inlet and outlet with rock to keep the dirt from washing away.

 

[w_boughner]

its totaly posable and you dont need a liner just dig your pond beside the creek and the curent wont be strong at all. dig your pond first the atach it to your creek

 

[potatos]

so you are saying that i should dig a big hole next to the stream, then dig a trench from the stream to the hole, and from the hole back to the stream? should the flow in be on the opposit side of the pond from the outlet, or should it just skim the side, as you have in your drawing?

the reason for the mold would be to help it retain its shape and depth. without it, wouldnt it just melt into a shallow pool from erosion?

and do i want a lot, or a little flow in/out?

Thanks, I will try to get pictures soon

 

[w_boughner]

for gold fish, koi, or bass i would skim the side of it so the water is surculated with out too much curent..but if you want trout i would center it on the streem. if you have clay in the ground where you are you can dig your sides at a 45` angel and it wont calaps but if its pit run or sandi soil you will need a liner. even a big rubber pond liner so you can make it as big as you want

 

[TedsTank]

Yes, you are correct about the clay vs sand. Something else to be aware of is how much runoff do you get down the stream during storms?? You could get a lot of sediment build up, if you make the pond directly in the stream.
Sounds like a fun project!!! Have fun it will be cool.

 

[potatos]

I dont want to add any fish, i want to plant it and maybe put in some small mosquito fish to eat mosquito larva, but thats it. I want it to be a more natural pond to allow wildlife such as frogs to come.

i think you are very correct about the storms. i think i will use your idea and only have it skim the side i dont know if i have clay, it just looks like mud to me. I will take pictures tomorrow.

thanks again

 

[gremlin]

Since you want it to stay natural, you could use large rocks to help maintain the shape.

 

[ldbrown3138]

I don't know what state you are in but some states require a permit to make changes to a natural water course. The exception being that you own the entire length of the water course and the changes will have no effect on anyone downstream. Also, I'm not sure about releasing mosquito fish into a natural stream. They cold multiply and travel downstream and interrupt some other native fishes life cycle.

 

[gremlin]

Also, I'm not sure about releasing mosquito fish into a natural stream. They cold multiply and travel downstream and interrupt some other native fishes life cycle.

Mosquito Fish are a native fish to the U.S.

 

[potatos]

Thanks. we are in marylamd, and this will be a minor adjustment. the stream starts on my property, continues down the street, then goes behind a popeyes, and is then covered by a large parking lot. it is sad. i assume it pops up somewhere else, but it has already been very altered, and there arnt many people downstream.

yes, the mosquito fish are native, which is why i wanted to use them, as well as their awsome mosquito eating habit, and ability to sustain their own population

i like your large rock idea. the stream increses in intensity as it travels downhill, so dose that mean it is just on the level of the water table? in which case, the pond should fill upwards through the ground as well as through the stream, correct? (like when you dig a hole in the beach and it fills with water)

it is raining and muddy today, as well as very cold, so i will take the pictures tomorrow when the weather improves.

thanks for the help, i will keep you updated on the project if i am able to go through with it

 

[ldbrown3138]

They are native to the gulf coast watersheds of the US. They are not native to all of the US and can have adverse affects on native wildlife.

Releasing exotic (even native to this country) wildlife into natural waters where can cause multiple problems that may be unforeseen. I do not even recommend releasing native fish (after they have been kept in aquaria) back into the same body of water where they were originally collected. You may inadvertently introduce some new microorganism. Look at the problems the Zebra mussel, Mediterranean fruit fly and water hyacinth (to name a very few species) have caused.

http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/main.shtml

This following is a webpage outlining impacts the mosquitofish has had in the desert southwest where it is considered an exotic.


IMPACTS

Mosquito fish have negative ecological impacts anywhere they are introduced. This a particularly predaceous species, easily out competing native species of minnow for available forage or harassing those competitors until death. They have been especially devastating in the American Southwest interacting with a wide range of threatened or endangered fish species; most recognized is the Gila topminnow. The decline of up to twenty species has been linked to the introduction of Mosquito fish outside of its native range. Recent studies suggest California's declining amphibian populations can be linked to Mosquito fish introductions as well.

On the other hand, there is a positive aspect of mosquito fishes. Mosquito fish are important to the mosquito control program. They eat mosquito larvae as fast as they hatch from the eggs laid by mosquitoes on the surface of the water. In California they are furnished alive and without charge for stocking ornamental ponds, unused or "out-of-order" swimming pools and animal watering troughs. They require no feeding and care is limited to protecting them from garden sprays and from chlorine or other chemicals used to clean the pond. The Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control District also stocks thousands of these fish each year in artificial lakes, reservoirs, waste water disposal lagoons, natural creeks and drainage channels to eliminate the need for frequent spraying with mosquito pesticides.

 

[ldbrown3138]

Mosquitofish are OK in Md, I did not know in what state you were located. See fact sheet on attached weblink.