SKATING POND PROBLEM

[escavader]

The little 20 by 20 by 3 ft deep pond i dug a few years ago,in a wet hole hasnt worked out very well for the kids ice skating.It doesnt seem to hold the water very good.It normally stays right about where the water table is.The problem is when we get heavy late fall rains[and pond reaches the over flow pipe],and it freezes,over the winter the water goes down to normal levels ,creating a bowl like skating rink,which is easily broken through at the ponds edge.
What do i need to do.Itried a large sheet of plastic to line the pond...no luck there.Is there something i can do to the ponds edge so the ice will fall when the water drops?Overflow pipe is at ground level,not an option to lower it.Kids love to skate ,but i dont have a level area to build them a wooden tarped structure.Any ideas appreciated
ALAN

 

[Dusty]

Make a 20' x 20' box out of 2" x 12" pressure treated lumber and then line with 6 mil 24' wide plastic. Fill with water and let freeze. If it gets lumpy you can flood it again and it will freeze over night to a smooth surface. This is what we did back in the 1960's at the local park, when the pond dam was being worked on. The black plastic is going to be the expensive part, since it is sold in 100' rolls. Make sure to stake the side boards so they don't get pushed out by the weight of the water. Build it as if you were building a footing for a house. Dusty

 

[Defective]

Does the pond have any purpose other than as a skating rink?

If not, fill it in and level it. Then you have your level area. lots of gravel will keep it from turning into a bog in the summer.

Then you can build a frame & line it.

 

[midlf]

Pump or siphon the pond down to the necessary level before it freezes.

 

[jinman]

The black plastic is going to be the expensive part, since it is sold in 100' rolls.

Dusty, let me say first that I'm from Texas and know nothing about skating ponds. What crossed my mind when I saw "black plastic" is that there is now white poly that might be much better. Doesn't black poly tend to absorb heat and melt the ice? I know that in the '60s there were not as many options in plastics as there are today. Is white poly a better option?

 

[bigtiller]

On a cold night we would compact the snow in a 20 foot square area or so by driving on it with the car and then turn the garden hose on with a mist. Then just keep spraying water on it until the snow and water was smooth. It will be good enough for kids to use until the sun comes out which around here is only about 10 days a month in the winter.

 

[SPIKER]

if you still want to use the pond, then it needs a flat sides so the water level drops so does the ice... the sides needs to be basicaly vertical for this, line the sides with the plastic late each fall only ned small 4' or 6' width roll several hundred feet long, so you can use that on the sides. use PT lumber to form the sides of the pond if you want, OR RR Ties. or if this is something you want to keep going for years & years perhaps form sides & concrete it... make sure that the sides are vertical so the ice level drops as the water level goes up/down...


or easier way like others mentioned use plastic sheeting and make up a new pond each year using PT 2x4s the thickness is right any more than 4" of ice isn't needed and will take longer to freeze. form up like a slab for concrete, fill slowly with water letting it freeze as it goes dump in snow if it is avail, pump from the pond if you make it close to pond... all you need is a level area...

we used to make very large area similar to this only used a small sub pump from a pond, chopped hole into ice on pond edge, & pumped into feild down below. no plastic no framing just snow & a sprinkler setup...

mark m

 

[Dusty]

Dusty, let me say first that I'm from Texas and know nothing about skating ponds. What crossed my mind when I saw "black plastic" is that there is now white poly that might be much better. Doesn't black poly tend to absorb heat and melt the ice? I know that in the '60's there were not as many options in plastics as there are today. Is white poly a better option?

You are correct, the white poly would be a better choice, since white reflects the suns rays, whereas black absorbs them. I wasn't aware that they now make poly in anything other than black or clear. I still have part of a 100 foot roll that I purchased in the early 1980's when I built my home. Just moved it yesterday while cleaning the garage. The one thing that surprised me was how heavy that box has become. Either that, or with my advancing age, my strength isn't what it used to be. Dusty