Frog-friendly backyardDigging your pondThere are a couple of things you should do before you start digging your pond. It's a good idea to outline your pond in the proposed area with a piece of rope or flexible hose. You must also take into consideration lot lines, property deeds, locations of any overhead or underground lines, and local bylaws requiring fencing or permits. Natural debris removed from your pond area may be useful when creating wildlife habitat around your pond (see next chapter). When stripping off the turf, save large pieces to be put around the edge of the pond. Smaller pieces can be placed in a compost pile. Digging should be done in layers so that the topsoil can be kept in a separate pile. Get the pond excavations level and reshape the surroundings to blend in before digging the depth of the pond. The pond must be excavated to a size allowing for a waterproof barrier with its protective matting (if required) and for a layer of sand at least three inches deep to cover the whole pond bed. |