Many homeowners want their backyard ponds to serve a double purpose of adding visual appeal and offering a comfortable place to swim. Water features like fountains and waterfalls are the most popular additions to natural ponds. Yet, if you want to swim in your natural pond, you’ll want features that improve the water quality rather than reducing it. Some features also only work in ponds with advanced filtration units. These three options will all work well for natural swimming ponds that need a little extra excitement.
Waterfalls
Waterfalls are one of the most impressive water features you can add to a pond. Even a small fall of just a few feet at one end of the pond will increase the oxygen content of the water and add both sound and visual appeal. Try to place these water features where swimmers can’t climb or walk on them since the rocks used as the edges and base typically cannot bear a person’s weight. Planting around the edges of the waterfall is a great way to discourage access while adding to its natural look.
Water Slides
If you want a water feature that you can climb and slide on, consider a water slide built from metal or concrete. Pre-made water slides tend to require more depth than a natural swimming pond provides. A custom-made concrete slide is easily adapted to a very shallow depth so there’s only a small fall before the swimmer hits the water. Miniature water slides are easily worked into a natural pond design with some creative layout considerations. These slides work best with a steady flow of water over the surface, so most of them are designed to function as water falls as well without the decorative rocks usually attached to the surface. The smooth water slide will still provide enough turbulence to improve the water quality when it’s not being used for fun.
Fountains
Small floating or anchored fountains offer splash and oxygenation without requiring any alterations to the bank or edges of the pond. Solar powered fountains are popular for natural ponds since there’s no need to run a power line out to the water feature. A tiny solar panel provides enough electricity to run the fountain on sunny days. Many swimmers turn off fountains when taking a dip to avoid being splashed during their dip, but some fountains are designed specifically to enhance the swimming experience.
Finding a Professional for Help
Building a backyard natural swimming pond can be a DIY project if you’re working with a tight budget. There are a few parts of the pond building process that call for working with a professional whenever possible. By getting help with the design and excavation steps, you can make the most of your budget while bringing in the pros. Consider finding a professional who can help you with the pond building process for the following four steps.
Pond Design Consultant
A pond design consultant takes a lot of the hard work out of selecting a location on your property, finding a steady source of water, and sizing the liner based on the three-dimensional measurements of the space. Or, for free measurement help, use the calculators provided from BTL Liners or contact our expert team for assistance. If you’ve never designed a pond from scratch before, working with an experienced consultant will prepare you for the process. At the very least, have a pond engineer look over your plans before you begin work on them. They can pinpoint issues that would lead to costly mistakes, such as weak banks or erosion issues.
Liner Recommendations
You don’t need to pay a lot of money for professional recommendations on which pond liner to use for your natural swimming pool. Our team here at BTL Liners is happy to explain the benefits of multi-layered RPE liners and guide you towards the right product. We offer the highest quality products, that are easy to install, cost effective and last for decades. Call us at any time to discuss your plans for a natural pond, even if it’s just a small backyard project. We’ll explain the installation process used for our flexible liners so you can start planning today.
