My pond has been here for about 9 years now and is well established with a lot of life. There is a pump and filter system and the water is pumped up to the filter and then down a small stream section. Over the years, the stream had become over run with roots from all the vegetation and when the pond level kept dropping, I realised there were some cracks in the stream liner. The pump was also struggling, so I decided to give it an upgrade!
I bought a new, wildlife friendly pump. This is one that has very small holes in the filter to prevent the wildlife in your pond being sucked in. I had a problem with one pump I had as it sucked the newt’s tails in and I was completely devastated when I went to clean it and found 3 dead newts… so be careful which pond you choose for your system.
After several week with bits and pieces of work done on the stream area to fear it, this weekend we spent all Sunday on it.
Having cut back all the vegetation and cleared all the stream area, we exposed all the old liner. As some had been exposed to sunlight, it had dried and fractured.
We repaired the holes and laid a new liner over the area, having up the huge rocks to tuck it underneath.
Once it was in place, we load a load of pebbles and rocks in place and then trimmed the liner. Gradually working our way down the whole stretch, the stream was eventually ready for a test run with the new pump!
After a minor leakage down one side where the bank was not high enough, the water was soon cascading down into the pond beautifully. The new , wider stream with pebble base will be popular with the wildlife, offering an excellent place to drink and bathe I hope, as well as keeping the pond water clean, fresh and oxygenated.
I am really pleased with the effect and I hope the wildlife approves too!