Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Using pond to water lawn

Trying figure out what pump or setup would work well to run sprinklers or to hook a garden hose to for watering garden etc. I could use a small submersible pump but don't know how that would work long term. Thanks.

A submersible sump pump is not going to get you the pressure needed to run a sprinkler. Those are high flow, but low pressure.
You are going to want to be looking for a shallow well pump.

Do you want electric or gas? Does it need to be quiet?

https://www.homedepot.com/c/ab/best-irrigation-pumps-for-your-yard/9ba683603be9fa5395fab9014e905fa

https://www.amazon.com/WAYNE-PLS100-Portable-Stainless-Sprinkling/dp/B0002YVPSK?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_3

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Generac-2HP-..._-207041131-_-N

Seems like a great way to remove nutrients from your body of water and fertilize a lawn at the same time. If possible, it'd be great if you could use this thread as a journal of sorts, with updates with each step along the way. I'm guessing there are more than a couple guys who would like to do something similar. We can all learn from your failures and successes.

Thanks Jourenyman and RAH I appreciate it. I'll probably use an electric pump as I'll be running power out there anyway for the aeration system.

Nedoc, I though about that too, but also wondering if it might remove too much. I dunno thought as I know next to nothing on pond management.

I'll try to keep an update on it, as you can see it's been a week since I asked this and I'm just getting back to the post. Building a house and a pond at the same time is hectic. I actually ran into an issue the day after I posted this. The pond was dug about 15 feet into the water table and lined with blue clay that started around 10 feet. The water pressure around the pond from the high water table was wanting to bust through within the day. We ended up digging 25 foot wet wells effectively and I am pumping water 24/7 into the pond to keep the pressure down / fill the pond until it gets above the water table and the pressure evens out.

The crock that was dug will probably be where i end up pulling water from for my needs instead of the pond, but we shall see.

Adam, Welcome back! When you have time we would love to hear more about your pond project, what is going well, what is a struggle and how you got around it.

Did you have natural clay at the bottom of the area where you are digging or did you have to bring it in? Many of us in MI have groundwater type ponds and the water table fluctuates but usually stays closer to the surface.

It is an interesting problem to have, I haven't heard it addressed much where the water pressure from the high water table is making it hard to compress the clay due to pressure on the underside of it.

Maybe there is a better season in MI to dig ponds when the water table is low but when is that and can you predict it?

I ended up using a polymer sealant which did a lot of good, but i do wonder how that changed the water pressure below the pond bottom. After I did that I now have wet spots well above the level of my pond in the sloped part of my yard where it appears the water table had to find a new way out. How and where water travels is still a mystery to us.

Hang in there and keep us posted.

Usually in the fall there is plenty of rain to help establish seed for a new lawn. We have had a warm snap, humid and wet, this still is a good time to get the grass down.

You probably want to pull water from 2-3 feet below the surface, as that is where the cleanest water in the pond is - below surface algae, above bottom sediments. That should keep your pump/sprinkler system from clogging the best.

Pond supply companies will sell filters to be suspended below floats at this depth (primarily for use where ponds are the beginning source of domestic water systems), or you can make your own from PVC pipe/fittings and plastic window screening.