Project

Fire Pond and Self Watering Nursery

A rural pond and hugelkultur provide increasing fire protection and water resilience.

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Project Details

Local Acreage Owner
Deep Creek, BC
4b
719 m
316
217 mm
Element Eco-Design
Co-Installer, Design Input, Instructor
Earthworks, Hugelkultur, Install, Pond, workshop

Overview

Designed by Element Eco-Design with input from All Points Land Design, a fire-prevention pond and large-scale hugelkultur were installed to catch and store water to increase resiliency on the property. Both were built during a co-taught weekend workshop introducing earthworks for water harvesting, soil storage, fire prevention, and drought resilience.

Explaining water flow and how to capture it using earthworks.
Initial vegetation removal for pond.
Building the hugelkultur on the north side of the pond.
Overview of the pond nearing completion and hugelkultur on the north side.
A specialized Kaiser Spider excavator makes building the massive hugelkultur look easy.
Broadcasting seed on the hugelkultur provides a trial for successful species, and vegetation to cover the soil.

Challenges

The primary challenge was siting and building the pond on a steep property at relatively high elevation, with northward slope aspect.

 

Key Elements

  • 250,000 L pond installed for fire prevention and water storage
  • 150 ft long, 15 ft wide, 10 ft tall hugelkultur installed using excavator with full-length trees, debris and decomposing wood from pond site
  • hugelkultur provided a windbreak to decrease pond evaporation

 

Update

This project continues to amaze and delight. During the first season, the hugelkultur wicked water that entered the pond, retaining moisture throughout a long, hot summer. The vegetation has done extraordinarily well, and all cover crops established quickly and remain vigorous. The pond continues to fill, with enough capacity to freeze over in the first year even after a drought. The owners report higher soil moisture (improved hydration) downslope from the earthworks.

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Fire Pond and Self Watering Nursery

A rural pond and hugelkultur provide increasing fire protection and water resilience.