My backyard is literally a pond. I have a deck that goes over the water but I am lost as to what I could do to get the sanctuary I have always wanted.. I could use some real help...

Call an excavator. To turn your pond into a yard you'll likely need some added drainage and lots of fill.

shift the pond, redo the deck, make lemonade out of the lemon. if it's a clean spring, you have a real valuable feature to make a unique yard. redo whatever you have to to show it off and make the most use of it. if it's a slimy green hole from bad drainage, shift the issue away from the house and deck, run it through filters and some rocks, and make it a water feature.

//edit// if the city/county is counting it as rainwater-recharge space or it's an official wetland, you are heavily constrained (as in "fuggetaboudit") from modification. you need to check at city hall.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: swschrad,

Shifting sounds like an idea. I can not backfill this pond it is over and acre and is 40 ft deep..

Harsh words of reality:

1. The only way to move or fill a 40' deep, one acre pond is to start pouring huge amounts of money into it.

2. Rethink things to make your backyard sanctuary be a pond.

3. If #2 doesn't work for you, consider moving. For many, having a pond is a huge plus and could make your place sell fast.

scope of work on that would be developer-size. I agree with Jaybee... and what I'd do then is make the place a lakeshore retreat. put a little bogus dock on the thing. if you're in warm weather, have the water tested to see if it's clean enough for fish. put water plants on one spot, but be prepared to get out there and cut away the excess. put a little patio out there.

40 feet deep! that's a hazard. if there are little kids anywhere in the area, you are seriously going to have to consider a fence.

maybe you can get a tax writeoff if you approach the county and designate the thing as a "groundwater recharge" acre. in these parts, most cities or counties would jump at it, and a local developer trying to get Stumpjumper Townhouses permitted might need the offset enough for his parking lot to pay you to include it.

enough front yard to put the deck on there, maybe??