Artificial ponds come in all shapes and sizes and are used for almost every imaginable purpose. One example is a miniature backyard pond, in a clay pot, complete with a few guppies and a single plant. A 5-acre fishing pond built on the back 40 and stocked with bass and bream is another. Lake Mead, which occupies land in both Nevada and Arizona, is the largest (by volume) artificial reservoir in the US and was formed as part of the Hoover Dam project. Others can serve practical and industrial purposes, like settling ponds for stormwater or containment ponds for industrial waste products. Here, we’ll talk about the treatment and potential replacement of liners intended for recreational or decorative purposes.
Artificial liners are frequently used for ponds built on a small scale for several reasons. Irrigation ponds cannot risk losing precious water during a drought or long dry season lest the crops suffer. Backyard koi ponds must stay full to ensure the fish are healthy, and old-fashioned swimming holes just aren’t the good clean fun you expect if they’ve become giant mud pits.
Depending on the ultimate use for your pond, the configuration can vary considerably. An irrigation pond for a golf course might involve an earthen dam at one end, which requires special treatment to protect the dam’s stability. A casual fishing pond back in the woods may have an irregular border and probably doesn’t boast much in the way of a decorative edge. A goldfish pond may have formal, raised walls of brick or stone that cover the liner entirely. Each of these situations gives rise to different potential problems and prospective solutions. If you inherited your underwater kingdom, take a few minutes to consider the pond’s location and original purpose and discover what kind of liner you’re working with before you move on to the next step.
