In California, everyone from businesses to homeowners will face water restrictions and regulations at least some of the time. One of the biggest regulations is that ponds for domestic and livestock use must use no more than 10 acre-feet of water per year while ponds for irrigation can use 20 acre-feet per year. This means pond sizes must be calculated carefully. For example, to have a 10 foot deep fishing pond, you’ll need to make sure it covers less than an acre of surface area so that it doesn’t lose more than the 10 acre-feet allowance per year to evaporation.
Ponds and lakes larger than the above listed numbers typically require special permits, which local boards within a given area will handle on a case-by-case basis. This often involves an environmental impact survey to judge how the pond or lake will affect local waterways and the local ecology. There are also rules governing water diversion, whether you are able to divert water, and how much water you are allowed to divert. Depending on the area, this can include not only creek and stream diversion, but also surface runoff and harvested rainfall. Because of all these rules and regulations, the owners of ponds and lakes in California must make the most of every gallon of water within their reservoirs—and that means reducing water loss. One of the best ways to do that? With an impermeable geomembrane like those we offer here at BTL Liners.
