Water features are great additions to any piece of real estate and ponds are amongst my favorite. The sound of rushing water, the action of fish swimming around and the overall selection of the construction materials for the pond can provide both a wonderful aesthetic and relaxing experience. However, they are not without maintenance given the amount of sun and other factors in areas like Redwood City and San Carlos.
First and foremost, a pond is like a small pool. Children and pets need to be kept safely out. I believe that ponds are even more attractive to children then pools because of the lure of colorful fish. So, be careful.
The enemy of the pond are critters, clutter and sunlight. Critters like egrets and hawks will not only try, but will often succeed in catching and eating some of the fish in your pond. This is heartbreaking if you have a favorite koi that became instant sushi for a bird. You may have never seen an egret or hawk in your Redwood City or San Carlos yard before, but trust me that as soon as you add a pond, they will show up.
The worst in Redwood City and San Carlos though are the raccoons. They not only eat your fish, but will in the process uproot plants and create all kinds of havoc with your pond. Raccoons are the mainstay of pond horror stories. It is not easy to keep them out. Some people will install electric fences around the pond or put netting over it to keep both raccoons and birds out, but in my opinion this ruins the aesthetic experience.
In the end you may need to compromise on aesthetics vs. keeping critters out. Because of these critters, ponds should be dug deep (30” is normal, deeper may require a permit) and small caves should be built in to allow fish to hide from the marauding raccoons and birds. However, somehow raccoons still manage to catch a few fish or at least create a mess.
Clutter and sunlight can turn your beautiful crystal clear pond into pea soup. The summer heat, lots of sunlight and excess organic material in the water are a perfect recipe for an algae bloom.
Do not place your pond directly under a tree where all the leafs will drop to the water. Try to place it where perhaps it receives morning sun, but then remains shaded during the remainder of the day. Leaves and other debris also create a disgusting mush at the bottom of ponds if not cleaned regularly. To help keep your pond clean it is good to have a filter box that should be cleaned regularly and you could also add products that help keep the water clear.
So, you still want a pond after all of the above text. If you live in areas surrounding Redwood City or San Carlos, there are a couple great companies that will do it all for you. These are Ripple Effect and Artscapes. Both have built some great ponds in our neck of the woods. If you are a do it yourselfer, then I recommend going to TSE Inc. in San Jose. They have nearly everything you need there, it is worth the drive.
Having someone build the pond for you will likely cost a minimum of $10,000 for a modest sized pond. If you want to do it yourself, the pond liner will cost about $.50 per square foot, then you will spend another few hundred dollars on pumps and other equipments plus hundreds to thousands of dollars more on rocks. In the end, you could probably build a pond for a little less than half the price of paying someone else, but it is tough work digging holes and there is a real art to rock placement for waterfalls. |
