A Glimpse in the Pond...

by Sue McGregor

Have you ever been tempted to try "water gardening", or keeping an outdoor pond, here in Juneau, but you thought it wouldn't work because of our climate? Outdoor fish-keeping is all the rage in the lower '48, and it is possible, although with modifications, here as well. I spoke with a few local pond owners recently and though it might be fun to explore some different pond "styles" in Juneau; what works and what doesn't!

Brian McWhorter, who is in charge of pond-related items as Don Abel Building Supply, estimates that at least 25 people in Juneau have outdoor ponds, and that number is growing rapidly. Don Abel's sells pre-molded ponds. Also available through catalogs and other outlets are pond "liners", flexible pieces of plastic fabric that can be molded to fit any shape of hole in your yard. Some people even line ponds with tarp. Fabrics have a tendency to develop holes, with water eventually seeping underneath. Pre-molded ponds are reported to be "maintenance free", and come with 15 year warranties against breakage. One disadvantage may be depth; pre-molded ponds tend to come up to 18' in depth, and may freeze in winter.

The most interesting pond enthusiast I have encountered (for many reasons other than his ponds!) is Chuck Maccagno. He recently installed a 270 gallon, 18" deep, pond in his front yard, in which he houses his large, beautiful collection of fancy goldfish. Chuck's collection includes nice "feeder" comets, Koi, of several varieties, black moors, and other fancy goldfish; all in the 5-7 inch range! Chuck's dream is to breed some of these goldfish, and if anyone has the setup to do so, it's his. His pond consists of several "pools" connected by waterfalls. He keeps the pond covered with wire to keep out inquisitive and hungry predators. Also in Chuck's ponds are water lilies and other various pond plants. In winter, Chuck loads his fish into an assortment of bathtubs, fish totes and aquariums totaling 600-700 gallons, and wheels the whole lot into his garage, which also houses two vary large turtles, a red eared slider and a Reeves. Chuck has been "ponding" for several years, including a few in Ketchikan before Juneau. He doesn't feel that fish can be over-wintered in ponds in Juneau, unless they are exceptionally deep.

At the Wee Fishie Shoppe, we have several customers who have backyard ponds. Most stock theirs annually with "feeder" comets; some return in the fall to bring us their range feed comets, because they have no place to store them over the winter. Others bring their fish inside their homes during the cold months. A few have even attempted to over-winter the fish if the ponds were deep enough, and with some success. I doubt the success would be great in a really cold year. Regardless, there seem to be more and more people interested in the hobby each year.

This is by no means an extensive overview of all the ponds in Juneau, but I hope it piques your interest in the subject. Pounds can provide all of the enjoyment of fish-keeping, combined with the fascination of gardening. They do require some work in our northern climate, but are certainly feasible and fun! I hope more people will become more interested in this hobby!