The shape of the pond is much more important than most people realize. Many times people will get very creative with the pond shape so that it rambles all around the landscape and ends up looking like a piece of a puzzle. Only after the pond is built and filled with water does the problem become apparent. You can’t keep it clean. If the pond is shaped so that it has dead areas where the water is not moving, leaves and debris will collect there and eventually sink.

Additionally, the bottom contour of the pond is equally important. Flat bottom ponds require constant vacuuming to keep them clean. If you are retired and have two hours each day to clean your pond you can build it any shape you wish. On the other hand, if you want to build a pond that is almost “self cleaning” pay close attention to both the shape of the pond and the inside contour leading from the edges of the pond all the way to the bottom drains. We can’t express enough how important the contour of a koi pond is. A well designed pond shape and contour can save you many hours of back breaking work and help provide a healthier environment for the koi. See the Advantage Koi Pond Plans for more details on pond shape and bottom contour.