And The Hidden Benefits of a Pond
Responsible Water Usage: The Hidden Benefits of Your Backyard Pond
A pond not only creates aesthetic appeal, but also serves as a vital habitat for various organisms, acts as a natural filter for pollutants in the environment, provides cooling effects, and helps mitigate mosquito populations. NO WAY? RIGHT?! RIGHT!
But, do ponds use a lot of water…..?
Lawn Water Usage
The average size yard in the USA is 1/5th of an acre. To water the whole thing one time with 1 inch of water 5430 gallons of water will be used. People typically water their lawns twice a week. We probably water for 28 weeks. Maybe not all of us water twice a week, Lets say we water 40 times a year. That is a whopping 217,200 gallons a year for an average size yard! Before covering your whole yard in rocks, remember that greenery provides an ecosystem and cools the air compared to rocks. There are better ways to xeriscape.
Say 1/2 the yard is for the pond. The pond may be 20 x 20 and the rest of that space has mulch, shrubs, landscaping rocks and a great patio by the pond. The pond itself is roughly 4,480 gallons of water and will take an average of 2 inches a week during the warmer months and far less during the winter. That 2 inches is about 496 gallons of water a week. For 28 weeks that is 13,888 gallons. Compare that to what half a 1/5th acre yard would need. That is a giant savings of water!
The point is, because the water in a pond doesn’t just sink into the ground and evaporation doesn’t take up as much water, a pond or water feature uses LESS WATER! Does that blow your mind? It does mine.
But Wait, There's More!
Ponds actually help clean polluted air. When dirty air comes into contact with the water, it is trapped and then cleaned and filtered through the pond ecosystem. Ponds are acting as natural filters! Without ponds we will need more medications to fight off what pollution does to our bodies. I guess without ponds we will need more and more pharmacies.
Natural habitats are shrinking everywhere as more apartments, houses, (and pharmacies) go up. Backyard ponds play a crucial role as sanctuaries for insects, birds, bees, butterflies, and other creatures. Although you may not see them, bats, frogs, and dragon flies consume HUNDREDS of insects in a single night! That means if they do not have a habitat that we will have HUNDREDS more insects in the air everyday!! Of course if there are more insects we are going to have to purchase more insect repellant and insect bite anti-itch cream. I guess we can support ourselves and our own wellbeing or build more pharmacies.
You think I’m anti-pharmacy right? I’m not! (mostly!)
Kristi's Tips
Get a pond.
Put fish in it. Feed the fish.
Check out my Aquatic Plants Galleries to learn about and add plants.
Get your favorite chair, your favorite hat, favorite drink and sit by the pond as much as you can!
* This blog was NOT written by AI. This was written by me. I am not a professional writer, I am a pond person. Therefore, if you see a typo, please forgive me!
*No koi were harmed in the making of this content.