Knowledgebase
Welcome to the BTL Knowledgebase. Ever since we started lining ponds, creating covers, and helping people with their projects, we've gotten asked a lot of questions. Many of these questions are repeatedly asked, so we put together the BTL knowledgebase to help answer any questions you had about a particular subject. We are adding new questions every month, so continue to check back often!
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What do I need to know to build a backyard pond in California?
California has some of the strictest rules anywhere governing the amount of water that people can retain for their own use—and because of this, backyard ponds make up the majority of new water features added to California each year.
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Can ponds help with California storms?
California has some unique needs in that the state suffers from a drought, but sometimes there are also pouring rains that result in flooding and mudslides.
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What do I need to consider when building flood control ponds that can be used for irrigation?
There are a few things you’ll need to account for when you’re building a flood control system in California.
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During the drought, are there restrictions on irrigation and agricultural ponds in California?
Yes—and there is a distinction between regulations for small domestic decorative ponds versus larger ponds for irrigation and agricultural uses.
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What do you need to look for in a liner for a drought-ready California irrigation pond?
Choosing the right liner means taking into account what you’ll be using an irrigation pond for.
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Can rainwater be collected on the small scale in areas affected by the California Drought?
When you think of rainwater collection, the most common ideas are rain barrels at the small end of the scale or enormous retention ponds at the large end of the scale, but there is a middle ground.
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How can geomembrane systems help mitigate the water shortage during the California drought?
Geomembrane systems can do a lot to help mitigate water shortages, including irrigation systems, retention ponds, and rainwater collection systems.
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How can rainwater collection help with the California drought?
Rainwater collection is one of the key ways to help supplement the area’s water supply.
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Why is water harvesting critical for the California drought?
California’s Great Central Valley is 20,000 square miles, one of the most fertile valleys in the world, and one of the largest, if not the largest, agricultural region in the United States.
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Can water preservation help solve agricultural water shortages due to the drought in the San Joaquin Valley?
Yes—and one way to do that is by creating lined ponds to collect and store rainwater for later irrigation.
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What are the most famous salt ponds?
There are a couple of places in the world famous for their brine ponds.
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What are some lesser known factors that can speed evaporation in brine ponds?
If you’re interested in building brine ponds for evaporation, you’ve probably already covered the big factors like annual temperatures, precipitation, average humidity, and average wind speeds, but there are some lesser known factors that are easy to over
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How is salt harvested from brine ponds?
Salt ponds date back at least a couple of centuries as a way to manufacture salt for food, road de-icing and other purposes.
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Which BTL liner is best for brine ponds?
For brine ponds of all types, we recommend the AquaArmor line of pond liners.
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Is above-ground spill containment necessary around brine ponds?
In many instances, above ground containment measures aren’t needed, but where highly toxic brines are stored, above ground measures can prevent costly remediation jobs.
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How does wind affect brine ponds?
Wind can have major effects on brine ponds—both good and bad.
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How do you deal with rainwater in brine ponds?
Rainwater is a big concern in brine ponds, an issue that you will likely face unless you are operating ponds that are completely sealed against outside moisture.
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How do you use concrete in a brine pond?
Concrete, even though it is highly porous, can be useful in brine ponds.
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How do you calculate what size brine pond you need for evaporation?
Calculating evaporation rates isn’t an exact science because a variety of environmental concerns—like temperature, humidity, and wind speed—go into it, but there are ways to estimate how long the process should take.
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Should a brine pond be double lined?
While it isn’t always necessary, it’s a wise idea to double line brine ponds—and in some cases, it may be required.
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What are things to look for in a pond liner suitable for brine ponds?
There are four key things that a flexible liner should offer you in order to keep the pond leak-free and durable over the course of its life.
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How can you cover a brine pond?
Cases in which brine ponds must be covered are rare—but it does happen, and there is a right way to do it.
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What liners are best for brine ponds?
All brine ponds will need some kind of liner to prevent environmental contamination and product loss—but whereas most ponds may only need a clay liner, brine ponds require extra measures.
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