What are the ideal depths of the shelves in the pond?
The first shelf should be excavated down 1 inch to 12 inches, depending on the type of plants you want to put around the margins of the pond. On average, this shelf should be approximately 8 inches deep. The second shelf should be excavated 12 inches to 20 inches deep. The second shelf will be for lilies, lotus, and other plants that require a little deeper water than the first shelf. The third shelf will be excavated anywhere from 18 inches to almost the pond bottom. The residential ponds we build typically reach final depth of 24 inches. Even with temperatures to Zone 5 climates, this depth is more than adequate for fish to survive over the winter.
