I imagine that some people build, or have built, ponds and get it right the first time. I suspect that most of us build one and then learn all about the issues we should have looked into before the big outlay. I had my entire back yard landscaped, including a 2800 gallon pond with waterfalls, with hardly a thought. Oh my, what a mistake. The following article shows the errors, the afterthoughts, the redux, and the final product. Still not perfect, but as good as could be done within the original parameters.