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Have you ever dreamed of creating a backyard oasis? Someplace where you can relax and enjoy nature, even if you live in the middle of a big city? If so, then a pond may be just what you have been looking for. While building a pond is not necessarily difficult, there is more involved than simply lining a hole in the ground and filling it with water and some fish.

Before you start the pond building process, you must first gather your pond supplies, decide on the size and the location for your pond and, of course, how deep your new pond will be. The depth will depend on where you live and whether or not there will be fish sharing your new oasis with you.

The easiest way to build a pond is to start with a pre-formed plastic pond liner. These types of liners come in a variety of shapes, sizes and depths to fit any homeowners needs.

You will often find this type of a liner in a pond kit. However, if you prefer more of a do-it-yourself approach to pond building, you also have the option of digging your pond free-form and lining it with heavy gauge pond plastic. This comes in a roll and is laid inside the hole and cut to fit.

When you are digging the hole for the new pond, it is a good idea to include shelves and maybe even shallow caves. These will come in handy when you are decorating with plants to give height and depth to your new addition and provide a sheltered place for any fish you might add.

If you will be adding any type of animal life to your pond, it is extremely important for their survival that you dig the pond deep enough so that all of the water doesn't freeze. In most parts of the United States this depth is between a foot and 18". The reason is that fish, frogs and turtles all need some liquid water throughout the winter. Sufficient water movement is also essential to their survival.

You will need a filter, especially if you choose to add fish, frogs or turtles to your completed pond. It is very important to get the best filter that you can afford, as you will need to clean up anything that the filter leaves behind. The better the filter, the less there is to clean up. There are a couple of different styles to choose from in filters.

You can get a submersible or an outside filter for your pond. A submersible filter sits under the surface of the pond and sucks water from the bottom through a filter surface putting clean water back in. An outside filter sits on the edge of the pond and gets its dirty water from the pond at a depth of about 18" or so. Traditionally, both kinds are hooked up so that the water is deposited back into the pond via a waterfall or small stream.

Now that you have the pond dug out, lined and a filter selected, it is time to fill it up, decorate it, add fish (if desired) and enjoy.