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Design Your Pond
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Now that you've selected a location, it's time for the real "design" of the pond itself.  This would be a good time to contact J.U.L.I.E. and have the site marked for existing utilities.  You will need to do this anyway before you pick up a shovel, and it's best to do it BEFORE you order your pond kit. They will give you a dig number.  WRITE IT DOWN.  J.U.L.I.E. will then contact all the utility companies in your area and have them come out and mark the site within 3 business days of your phone call.  Request to be notified if a utility company does not find anything.  You are required to start digging within 14 days of your request to locate.  If you do not, or if the markings are destroyed, you must call and have the site re-marked and they will charge you a fee for the second relocate.
To contact J.U.L.I.E., call 1-800-892-0123.

Now that you know where the utilities are, you can officially design your pond. 

SIZE DOES COUNT!!  Almost everybody I talk to who wants a pond initially thinks that they want one that's roughly 8' x 10' and that that's a pretty big pond.  That IS a pretty big pond, if you're going to put it in your living room, but when you put it outside in your yard, it can easily become dwarfed by the openness of the surroundings.  Don't be decieved by preconceived notions and keep a couple of things in mind here.  First, if you dig your pond too small, you will be dissatisfied with it in the end and always wish you had a bigger pond.  Dig it as big as you can reasonably afford to and you won't be forever wishing for something more.
Second, you are going to be supporting life in this water world, and a small water volume seriously limits the possibilities of including everything you will want to include.  Third, you will want to fill the area you are working with so that it doesn't look like an afterthought.  If you want something under 300 gallons, get yourself an aquarium.  If you have to mow it or weed it, you dug your pond too small!  (Just kidding.)  You will never be unhappy with a larger pond.  You will always regret installing a pond that is too small.  You, or your fish and plants, will outgrow a small pond within a year or two.

Now is the time to determine just what the end purpose will be for your pond.  Do you want to just have it for the water movement and a few plants?  Do you want to actually keep fish in it?  If you decide you want to keep koi, please keep in mind that these fish can grow to a whopping 30" in a garden pond and live for 30+ years.  If you seriously want to keep them this long, you will need to make your pond big enough and deep enough to house these pets comfortably for many years to come.  It is an urban legend that koi will only grow as big as their environment allows.  Koi will grow as big as they want to or die trying.  Take some time to research plants, fish, and any other aquatic life you may want to ultimately keep in your pond.  I have posted lots of information on this site, and there are links to other sites as well, so take a minute or two to determine what you're goals are.

Another consideration that I always take into account is the possibility of you eventually selling your home.  You may not plan on moving, but that doesn't mean it won't happen.  If you're going to sell your home, your pond should be able to support a sufficient amount of life with the minimal amount of maintenance for the new owner.  Otherwise, it's a huge minus instead of a huge plus when it comes to resale appeal.

If you are bound and determined to start small, make plans now to expand.  Be aware though, a small pond is more difficult to maintain than a larger pond.  I'll discuss this more in depth later, but it all has to do with water volume and the toilet principal.
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Write me at:  pondgal@gridcom.net
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