Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Soil questions Gravel bottom vs earthen bottom

If I gravel the bottom of my 5 foot deep x 75 foot round pond....would it make it less cloudy when I swam in it? Or is there that big of a difference in water clairty? Im deciding on if I want to spend the extra money or not. The pond is topped off by a well. No creek runs in or out of it. anyone?

Some of us were tossing around the idea that compacted gravel around the shoreline might limit aquatic weed growth. Then we got tired of that game and moved on....

I think it would help a lot. I used to swim/fish a sand lined 1 acre pond and it was pretty clear and still looked very natural. Make sure the gravel/sand is washed if you order some. The particles that cloud your water the most always settle last. Angular gravel will stay in place better.

I was thinking about 2-3 inch angular gravel...or screenings. I havnt decided which is better or cheaper.

I don't know if this thread will help but...

http://www.pondboss.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=20;t=004622;p=2

Yeah I dont care about the weed growth as much as the clarity when I swim in it. As soon as I stomp around in my OTHER pond....the thing is thick like a chocolate milk.

Pond productivity of many life forms (mostly plant based) will soon cover the gravel with a layer of fine to course dead , decaying organic particles. Algae will want to grow in the now nutrient rich decompositional area. Killing algae in the beach area will produce more dead organic materials on top of the gravel. Activity on the gravel will work a lot of the dead organics into the intersticial areas of the gravel. Without frequent activity the dead organics under the gravel surface will turn black and septic from lack of dissolved oxygen. Now the beach with gravel has an underlying layer of black smelly sediments laced with hydrogen sulfide. Many of the readers can relate to this problem.

Just because you have gravel over a packed mud or clay bottom does NOT mean that the gravel will STAY CLEAN. The rate of sedimentation of organics and some soil particles onto the gravel will depend on the pond productivity, watershed for the pond, and amount of silt turbidity in the water. In my opionion you are better off building a small flat cement beach area that has steps leading out of the water and then keeping the sedimented particles broomed off the cement on an occassional basis - 1/month should to it. This works prety good in ponds near me with this feature. Do not just pour cement in a layer over the beach area. This will have a down slope and it will become slippery to walk on when coated with algae.

Yeah I got that setup in my OTHER pond right now. Its got a few boulders in there by the shore...and it helps a little. It prevents the pond from getting too muddy, but it still looks like chocolate milk. I think its because the trout stir it up. I notice when its hot out its always more cloudy. Maybe I wont put fish in this one? hmmm

Or I could cement the hole bottom? I wonder what the effects would be if I did that? Anyone?

If you are going to cement the whole bottom then build a pool. Overall it will be easier to manage and keep clean.
The earth bottom pond will definately stay clearer with no fish. If you put in JUST bass (NO other fish), and if it stays in ecological BALANCE it will also say pretty clear with visibilities ranging from 6 ft to 20 ft sometimes more.

So if I did gravel the bottom....would there be any MORE advantage if I put a liner in first? I already know it will hold water because its a thick clay soil?

I do not have a lot of experience with gravel on top of liners. I know they use liners under sand and gravel when the layer is not very thick (only 3"-6") on top of the clay . If thin layers of sand and gravel are used over clay, the gravel and clay usually mix together due to foot traffic and some softening of clay once it is water logged. IF layers of gravel are close to 10" thick then the two layers remain fairly separate - at least the upper 2-3" never gets clay worked into it. This is not to say that the gravel will not accumulate lots of organic detritus from dead plant materials. Gravel beaches without a lot of activity can accunulate up to 1" or organics per year. A lot of these organics get worked down into the gravel. Dead organics within gravel is what leds to black hydrogen sulfide laced beach areas. A liner will not affect this. A liner will not prevent weeds from growing in the gravel.

From my very limited experience, organic matter generally settles considerably faster than clay. Placing aggregate over the clay will help keep it from being disturbed and disolved into the water. You're going to have the organic matter either way. Rather than a waterproof pond liner you may consider contacting a geotextile fabric manufacturer for a more cost effective alternative. The fabric will help keep whatever aggregate you choose from sinking into the underlying clay but will not have any water retaining value. I agree with everything Mr. Cody has said and organics will settle in over time. Aeration and active weed prevention will reduce the amount of build up you get. It seems that if aeration was properly placed it could help keep an area somewhat clear of settling debris, think about a slack water area of a creek where leaves and sticks settle vs. the clear moving water section.

To make a gravel area that stays somewhat clean how about this:

Run linear bubble tubing back and forth in the area you want to keep clean, maybe a foot apart or even closer. Then lay the gravel over it. I'm sure it would be expensive to size a compressor for so much tubing, but would it work?

I think I've made up my mind on this dilema. Im making it deep....AND im cementing in a little entry area for when I swim. Have a little take off entry with stairs. So I can clean off my feet underwater...and it isnt a pain getting back out of the pond. If that works...and I'm satisfied with it....I'll say good enough. If im not....then I'll cement just the bottom in. Either way...I think I'm golden.

Have you thought how painful it would be to walk on a gravelled in beach? Doesn't sand sound a lot better? Keep walking on it and it may stay cleaner. I can just see my tender little feet trying to walk over crushed rock lol.