From lots of experience with ponds here is something to think about for your sweetie's swimming pond. Evidently she has never experienced a lot of swimming in several different types of ponds? When stocked correctly for swimming purpses with the correct species of fish (normally bass only), no swimmers get bit and few swimmers ever see a fish while swimming. These strictly swimming ponds do not produce very large fish.
However if you build a pond with no fish expect the pond to be invaded by many biting insects such as water boatmen, back swimmers, giant water bugs and water scorpion. These paticular types of bugs with their piercing biting mouth parts will often bite swimmers. Sometimes the bugs get inside the swimsuit and then bite - a real pain. Whirly gig beetles will develop hundreds if not thousands of individuals that live on the water surface and these "bugs" will bite but they usually avoid swimmers. Without fish predators these bugs can build dense populations up to 1 per cubic foot that are definately annoying to swimmers. Without predators crayfish will usually invade from neighboring streams or ponds. Crayfish when abundant will create muddy turbid water conditions in the pond. Some crayfish species when dense will build numerous mud chimneys that are annoying and unsightly in the grass around the pond edges.
Earth bottom ponds with a sand or pea gravel beach that is not used a lot will develop black septic smelly conditions below the surface sand-gravel. Swimming pond owners frequently compain to me that the swimmers and dogs stink when they get out of the pond when the beach sediments are black septic. Stir or rake the shallow sediments of a pond older than 4-6 years and you will see the black sediment condition when the sediments are disturbed. Dug ponds usually develop green water algae blooms or weed problems that are often treated with harsh chemicals. Be prepared for dealing with some if not most of these problems if you build a fishless swimming pond.
If your roommate prefers to not swim with fish it tells me she is "girly". My suggestion to keep your roommate the happiest, is build her some sort of pool- above or in-ground with liner or cement bottom. The pool will be work and involve some cost but so will a earth bottom pond if you try to maintain it as clear water and purely for her swimming pleasure.
Last edited by Bill Cody; 12/20/12 09:45 PM.
