subject: How to Level a Garden Pond [print this page] How to Level a Garden Pond How to Level a Garden Pond
How well I remember our first pond construction. We tried not to cut any grass. We hired a fellow to dig out the backyard for the pond. I romped around the excavation holding the transit, proudly announcing the level achieved. Later, when we filled the pond, one side was a full foot higher than the other! Oh, we had leveled the bottom of the pond. We learned the hard way that water seeks its own levelit doesn't matter how level the bottom is; the upper edge determines whether the water looks level. I spent an entire summer establishing a true level for the edges of that pond. Even if the pond you build is smaller than our first one of 50 x 100 feet, the principles remain the samethe upper edges must be level to avoid a lopsided appearance.
Transit Levels
These systems require a person to stand at each point while another person sights through a transit. Easy to operate, the equipment can be rented.
Line Levels
This system involves the use of short stakes pounded into the ground. Pieces of string are strung tautly from stake to stake, and a level is hung from connecting string to establish the level.
Carpenter's Level/ Bubble Levels
Probably the level most easily used by the individual homeowner is the carpenter's or bubble level. This level is available from local hardware stores in both short and long forms. Pound stakes into the ground close enough to set the level across two stakes. Using a longer level decreases the number of stakes necessary. A measurement on a base stake establishes the level for all further measurements, with each stake measured to be level with the preceding stake. Once the perimeter stakes are level, use a straight board (a long, level plank laid across the pond from stake to stake) to ascertain the level across the pond.
Water Level
A clear tube attachment or clear hose, used in conjunction with level-marked stakes, reflects the level point of the water within the tube.
