There is an age-old debate amongst the pond building community regarding whether or not to use pond gravel. Ask any pond professional what their stance is and they are bound to provide you with a long-winded, yet well-supported, definitive answer. We are pro gravel and here are five reasons why.

Liner Will Stay in Place

Installing gravel over a pond liner will help keep the liner in place. This is just like how you can use a rock to keep a napkin from blowing away in the wind at a picnic. If you don’t use rock and gravel and the liner moves, air bubbles can form underneath. This bubbling can lead to your pond liner rising up over the surface of your pond overtime. This is creating an unappealing formation in the middle of your beautiful water feature.

Slip Prevention

Many pond owners like to wade into their pond to trim aquatic plants or interact with their fish. If you are that pond owner, then you are certainly familiar with how slippery a pond liner is below the surface. It is much safer to enter your pond when there is a layer of gravel to step on.

Pond Gravel Protects Liner from Sun

Just like how the color of your furniture may begin to fade when placed in front of a window for too long, your pond liner can too be damaged by the sun’s ultraviolet rays. Utilizing a layer of gravel will help to increase your liner’s longevity by protecting it from the sun and its harmful rays.

Gravel Enhances the Ecosystem

Gravel provides a habitat for beneficial microorganisms which in turn can attract healthy bacteria to your pond. These minute organisms become food for fish, crustaceans, and aquatic insects. It is also food for bacteria and algae that live on the rocky shore. These bacteria break down decaying plant matter and fish waste, turning it into usable plant nutrition.

Without gravel, this decaying plant matter and fish waste will simply pile up on the bottom of your pond. This will be creating an icky, slippery layer of muck. Reduce the amount of muck in your pond by installing rock and gravel. You’ll find this practice will reduce required maintenance overall as well!

Gravel Naturalizes the Pond

In addition to being an essential ingredient to the overall ecosystem of your pond, rocks and gravel help to create a natural feel for your entire water garden! They can be used to naturalize a water feature, create waterfalls, and increase the biological activity in and around the entire pond. Use gravel to blend your water feature into the natural landscape in your yard.

In Conclusion

Gravel not only helps to support the ecosystem of your pond but it also protects your liner. This makes your pond safer to walk in and enhances the natural feel of your entire water garden. Next time you are asked about gravel and its importance, use these five reasons to support why you are pro-gravel too!  Contact us to see how we can build a pond for you!