No need for chemicals, pesticides, or fertilizers
Pesticides and fertilizers are harmful to water supplies; therefore, replacing grass with a pond eliminates the need to use chemicals to keep grass green and free of weeds. A pond’s natural ecosystem does not require the use of chemicals either. Water treatments (i.e. beneficial bacteria) are designed to be safe for fish, plants, and people. They are not poisonous and have no detrimental side effects to their surroundings. Further, pond water does not become runoff, nor does it carry harmful pesticides and fertilizers into nearby sewer systems.
Beneficial bacteria are specially formulated for pond use to help keep the water balanced and clear. They effectively reduce the buildup of sludge, uneaten fish food, fish waste, dead and decaying plant materials, and excess nutrients. One example is barley straw, which has been used for centuries to keep water conditions in ponds and streams clean and clear. In fact, it is still used today.
Replacing what used to be
Building ponds also produce natural habitats, which further create homes for birds, frogs, and other creatures. Habitat loss and modification are likely the greatest threats to frogs and toads. Backyard pond/swim ponds, however, provide a natural habitat, thus helping the survival of frogs, newts, and native salamander species, which are losing their homes at a rapid rate due to urban sprawl. Birds also love having a place to stop during long migrations, and for their morning bath. Bathing and drinking is essential to their preening.
Pond owners who live in suburbia that think they will not see much animal activity are wrong. In fact, these ponds are a mecca for cardinals, finches, doves, chickadees, robins, and various species of butterflies as well.
Dragon flies breed in water and need submerged plants for the developing larvae. It is the most beautiful sight to have dragon flies zipping around. With all of this activity, pond owners reap the benefits of sitting and watching nature take course, while at the same time know their enjoyment is helping the environment.
Many clients never realize how intrigued they would be after installing a pond. For some it opens new opportunities to enjoy the local bird population, while for others it becomes a place where family memories are created.
Environmental mechanics
Pond pumps have gone high tech; low-efficiency sump pumps or pool pumps are no longer being used. Now, asynchronous and magnetic-drive pumps are highly efficient and have low operating costs. For example, a 7,570 litre per hour (lph) (2,000 gallon per hour [gph]) pump costs approximately $12.67 per month to operate versus a 0.5-horsepower (hp) sump pump, which would cost approximately $95.04 per month. And, as people love to use their ponds at night to enjoy nature in the evening, halogen lights are now being replaced with light-emitting diode (LED) lighting. This alone saves approximately 85 to 90 per cent in electrical costs. Further, LEDs last up to 10 times longer than halogens.
Landscaping can also change the microclimate around a building by 20 to 25 degrees. According to the US Department of Energy, energy-efficient landscaping (including pond installations) can save homeowners up to 30 per cent on their heating bills. As such, even a small pond can change the microclimate around a building, significantly reducing the temperature.
