The designer of my pond recommends a "shelf" around the perimeter that is about 6-8 feet wide and 3' deep. He says that if the bank drops straight down (6' in my case) it would be very difficult for a kid, dog, or even an adult to get out. Since my pond will be used for swimming as much as fishing, I'm going to take his advice.
A fence is out of the question around a 7 acre pond. So I'll just pay my homeowners insurance, get a $1,000,000 umbrella policy for $125/yr., and put up no trespassing signs.
