Hello Newbie & Welcome!
You can find most of the info you need by either Searching within this forum for what you want ie...pond building, pond liners, new pond, etc...if you use specific words you will be more successful! Second choice is google. Same concept, specific words will garner more info, pond building, pond liners. Third, go to your local library or search this forum for pond books.
There is an excellent post, if you search, by drevalvo who also wanted a pond. There are several good answers, one being from loma_ponder, about some considerations.
Good Luck & keep us posted on your progress.
Dianne

Try this website:
http://www.exoticwaterscapes.com/water-lilies.php

Thank you both!

I'm hoping to get a single comprehensive source, ie- book, as I'm very new to this, one that covers a lot from start to finish. Then, I can use sources such as this site and Google to elaborate or fill in on the details or anything left out.

I can't recommend a book but as with any major project, you have to start at the higher level first: 1) Ask yourself what kind of fish you want- if goldfish and minnows then you don't need to be too deep and filtering doesn't have to be too powerful and you can keep plants everywhere in the pond; if Koi, you probably want 3'+ deep in some parts, very good mechanical filtration + bio and probably segrated places for your plants or some way to protect the tops of the pots from having the gravel/soil dug out.

2) Now you know how deep and what sort of filtering you need, do you want a waterfall or stream?

Keep going till you have decided what you want to do with the pond. Then get into detailed planning about landscaping, where you want the waterfall, how to build it, pick your filtering system(s), etc. Once you know how much water and how high you have to push it, then you pick your pump. One other decision is submerged pump or external etc.

Don't forget the bottom drain etc.

Here's a few:
The Complete Guide to Water Gardens by Kathleen Fisher
The Complete Pond Builder: Creating a Beautiful Water Garden by Helen Nash
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Rock and Water Gardening by Carlo Balistrieri

I got one by Kathleen Fisher at Lowe's in the garden center. Glenda

This website has good information while waiting for a book.
http://www.abcponds.com/pond-building/types-of-backyard-ponds.htm

I have a whole shelf full of books and info I printed out from this and other forums. The best general interest books with the best tried and true info will be by Helen Nash and Peter Robinson will be at the top of the list as well. You won't go wrong with any of their books but as I have found out, no one can put everything into one book which is why I have a dozen binders with info on some very esoteric subjects and I keep missing a snippit here and there. I think I must be OC. Sandy

The original poster wants an EARTH pond.....not a liner pond. I am afraid all the books mentioned deal with liner ponds, which are totally different. I would start looking in the direction of aquaculture or farm ponds. I think there was a great farm pond web site once, but I don't know the address.

"We plan on lining our 20 X 30' earth pond" This a quote from his post. IMO that means he already has an "earthpond". Now he is wanting directions on 'how' to convert it to a lined pond. Correct me if I'm wrong. Glenda

Oh sorry....didn't see that. That's going to take some MASSIVE filtration!!!