Press & Articles

Water and Water Features

Since we are talking about water, this is a perfect time to discuss water features and their water use. Water features have a stigma of using a lot of water. One would assume this to be true because as the name says “water feature”. Granted, left unmaintained or unchecked, even a well built and well designed water feature can lose water. It is very important that if you suspect you are losing water that you call a professional right away.

A maintained water feature will have very few water problems and if they do occur we are their to take care of the problem. Part of our maintenance packages are an edge check to make sure an edge hasn't dropped. Edge dropping in a stream is the most common water loss problem and occurs because of soil settling, plant growth and gravity. Soil settling does not happen all the time but rest assured they're typically an easy repair.

I thought this was a great piece of information for those who believe that a pond is a waste of water. This is from Truepump in Colorado:

Ponds vs. Grass

What takes more water to maintain: grass or a pond?

First, we must make some assumptions related to pond size, irrigation efficiency, evaporation rates, etc. For the purpose of this example we are using an average 11 ft x 16 ft pond with a 10 ft long stream, an evaporation rate of 1/2” per day, and 50 percent irrigation efficiency (it will take 1” of watering to cover the lawn with 1/2”). When a pond is installed much more turf is removed than just the 11 x 16 pond area. Most homeowners will include a large berm as well as multiple new planting areas which can be drip irrigated much more efficiently than turf. We are assuming the total sod removed will be 3 times the pond area and the pond surface will take up 75% of the 11 x 16 footprint.

Gallons of Water Required for Grass (every 3 days):

1” water per 3 days x 1 foot per 12 inches x 396 square feet x 7.5 gallons per cubic foot = 247.5 gallons every 3 days

Gallons of Water Required for a Pond (every 3 days):

1/2” water loss per day x 3 days x 1 foot per 12 inches x 132 square feet x 7.5 gallons per cubic foot = 123.8 gallons every 3 days, a 50% water savings versus grass!

As with any example, your results may vary. This example clearly shows that replacing part of your lawn with a pond will increase water conservation. One homeowner reported a 28% decrease in overall water usage after adding a new pond this year.

Also keep in mind that in the months of July and August the animals, birds and beneficial insects in our yards need a water source as well. As we are water stressed so are the creatures that co-inhabit our yards. Many of these creatures help keep our landscapes healthy by pollinating or keep pests out of our gardens. Having a water source near your garden will help insure your backyard ecosystem survives the harshest of times.