POND PROJECT 1996-99

In November of 1996 we decided to build a pond behind our house. We got an excavator to come in and dig (Art Graf Co. of Newark NY, very good pond people). We got a nicely irregular pond shape within roughly a 40' square. Since we planned on an earth bottom pond, we had it dug 5' deep in the middle to avoid major weed problems. The sides near the woods (shady side) sloped up steeply while the sunnier side was terraced to accomodate water plants.

	The soil from the hole was piled up on the side away from the house to make a little mountain to be landscaped and to be used for a waterfall. The excavator was able to leave a small black cherry tree with interesting trunk on a little point jutting out into the pond. You can see it here, just left of the middle of the photo.
Then we left the pond alone all winter. Since we have heavy clay soil in that area, we felt that there was a good chance the pond would hold water - but it didn't work. The pond level rose after a rain, then fell again to a level only a couple feet deep. We had two choices: fill it in and forget it, or line it.We decided to line it.