Wildlife Galore

Wow, such an animal parade wandering through our little neck of the high plains! The pond I'm working on isn't even done and it's already attracted a frog.

To be honest, this guy showed up when the original pond was still in place. He didn't actually "show" up because I never saw him. But I sure heard him. All night long this poor guy croaked his heart out, yet never did he attract a mate. I searched for him in the grass and bog garden, but his sound was hard to follow. I believe there is a evolutionary reason for this. (I also read that when threatened a frog will always hop to the left. Or the right. One of those.)

So now, many weeks after the pond disappeared, I see him in the new pond. It's not even a pond. More of a pool (think kiddie pool). He looked stuck, as the steep walls offered him no avenue of escape. I put in a large rock, and an hour later he vanished. If he hangs around, I will call him Houdini.

What's interesting to ponder is how he got to my yard. There is a swamp/pond behind the houses across the street. As the bird flies, or frog walks, it is a good 100 yards away and a drop of 20 feet from my front door. So this frog decides to leave the swamp, climb up a 20 foot slope, cross the front and back yards of a neighbor, cross the street, work its way around my house to the backyard, climb up several steps, and ta da! Another pond! I still can't fathom that journey or why.

Hats off to Houdini. May he live several years and drive my neighbors crazy with his bureeps.

Pond Update

The pond, as it was, is no more. Although tempted by the thought of raising my own trout, I decided to get out of the fish business. However, I love the sound of gurgling water, so the new design is to greatly reduce the pond to a small pool to catch a cascading stream.

Here is what the pond looked like while being dismantled. I had a difficult time keeping water out of it because of all the rain we've had this spring.

I had to use the pump constantly to get the water out. I eventually ruined the pump with all the grit and sand, which probably chewed up the motor.

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As you can see in this next photo, the pond has been filled in, requiring 3 tons of fill dirt. The dog is quite surprised, as hours ago this area used to be a 4-foot hole. (Or maybe she's just interested in the foreign goodies that came in the fill dirt.)

In the bottom right, you can see the small pool filling with water. This is a couple feet deep in the middle with 2 shallow shelves where I can set some potted water plants.

The dirt area where the dog is will serve as an extension to the patio, complete with a raised fire pit structure and some seating. To add interest and depth, I decided to keep this area lower than the main patio, kind of like a sunken living room. This not only reduced the amount of fill dirt needed, but it maximized the stream flow by allowing the pool to be lower.

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Here is another shot, this time looking towards the stream. As you can see, the construction of the stream is also a work in progress.

The preformed pool can hold 90 gallons of water. I am pumping it up to another preformed header pool, which holds about 5 gallons. This water then gurgles down a series of steps I built underneath the old pond liner.

In the end, the black liner will be all covered up with rocks. I am using left-over moss rock from previous projects and small river rock. I am discovering to my delight that when the river rock is wet, there are some very beautiful colors and patterns.

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This picture shows the stream portion. It is not much to look at now, but it does sound wonderful while running. A video with audio will be posted as soon as it is all done.

The challenge will be to cover up all the black plastic liner and the header pool, while still keeping the look natural.

I would like to tuck some plants here and there, all to make it look natural.

More photos to follow as the project progresses.

Go Native

I had somewhat of an epiphany the other day regarding the fish pond. As you remember, I am at a sort of crossroads with what to do with the pond, as I have successfully killed two batches of fish (in two separate ponds, but in the same climate). The sad story is described here.

Although I love the idea of having fish-- they're relaxing to watch and they eat bugs --I don't want to make a habit of killing innocent fish. I seriously considered scaling back the pond dramatically and make it just a little water fountain feature. Still nice, but a pond has more "cool" factor.

Then it struck me as I worked on my post for Earth Day thoughts. In one of my thoughts, I suggested people stick with native plants, because native plants are naturalized, acclimated for the climate, and thus they can survive with minimal fuss and resources.

This same thought can apply to animals too. Why raise goldfish and koi in Colorado when they are more at home in tropical environments? What I need to do is raise fish that are native to Colorado. Like trout!

Trout are freshwater fish that inhabit cold mountain lakes and streams. Well, I am neither in the mountains, nor is the pond very lake-like. The biggest concern is that the pond may be too warm.

After some research, I learned that rainbow trout don't mind warmer water: Between 50-65° is ideal. I usually keep a thermometer in my pond throughout the summer, and I noticed the water barely got up to 70°. This is mainly because the pond is on the north side of the house and only gets about 6 hours of sunlight a day, maximum. In the winter it get 0 hours. The constantly running waterfall also keeps the water cooler as the pump draws cooler water from the bottom and circulates it. And there are always ice cubes.

I remember seeing a small trout pond in Estes Park a few years ago. There was a little food dispenser there, so I tossed some food in. Never before had I seen such a feeding frenzy! The water boiled with dark fish exploding to the surface to get the food. Either they were starving or those fish are plain WILD. It reminded me of some piranha movie. Their aggressive nature was fascinating.

So now I may have an option to still have fish in the pond. I need to do some more research, like where to buy trout, what to feed them, etc.

Sad Day for the Pond

It was hard to ignore the lump in my throat as I scooped out my last dead fish. Six fish in total, beautiful koi of different colors and 10 inches long, all perished in this year's harsh winter. It's hard to say exactly what killed them.

It could have been those several days of sub-0 temperatures. It could have been the thick blanket of ice that covered the pond completely from early December to just recently. A sealed pond doesn't allow poisonous gases to escape, which could kill fish.

At some point during the winter, the pump ceased. Without running water, the filter was in danger of freezing and bursting. But it is 2/3 buried and weighs a ton when full of water (or ice). There was no way of getting it out.

Then ice sheets tumbled down from the inactive waterfall and buried the pond heater. I couldn't get it out for a month. this was the only thing keeping a hole in the ice. Now it was out of action.

To make matters worse, one of the walls collapsed, dropping concrete blocks and the waterfall rocks into the water and ice. The constant freeze/thaw cycle probably weakened the integrity of the earthen wall, and the lowered water level was the last straw, since the water pressure was the only thing holding it up.

Here is a photo of the collapsed wall, exposing all the ugly plumbing. That block teetering on the edge weighs about 60 pounds, and I can't reach down and haul it out without getting a hernia. So it will just have to plummet to the bottom when that little barley straw bail gives out, which is the only thing holding it up. In the Spring, I'll have to put on the waders and get in the pond to pull out all the blocks that are sitting on the bottom.

Needless to say, the pond is a disaster. Thinking back on our last home with a fish pond, we lost our entire goldfish population of over 20 to another nasty winter. I am coming to the conclusion that fish ponds on the High Plains are not a good idea. The winters are too brutal, and any attempts to keep live animals in such conditions is just cruel.

So I plan on changing the pond this year. Perhaps fill it in. I like the idea of a waterfall, but it would have a minimum amount of water and be something that I can turn off in the winter. I like the sound of falling water; dead fish and algae, not so much.

So I'm currently scouring the water landscaping books looking for ideas. Even on our trip to Arizona, no water feature goes unnoticed. There is a little pond on the University of Arizona campus that is lined with igneous rocks and is home to gold fish, ducks, and turtles! On the high plains, only an indoor pond could house such a menagerie, and the ducks might be a problem in the house.