You don't need a liner. And buy some topsoil to mix with your peat. You don't need any dechlor because you won't have any fish.

1) Yes you can use tap water as long as you dont have any fish or CP's. (Though fish wont really do well in a bog *lol*)

2) I live in TX and we too have clay soil. Best dirt for water garden plants ever! Isnt the water going to be stagnant anyway regardless if it drains? Why do you want it to drain? "Moving water" now that is something entirely different. But for a bog? Use the liner. You kinda have to. Otherwise you will not have a bog garden (the water wont be stagnant) and you will have to refill the water more from it draining than you would just from it evaporating. UGh I say. And mighty costly.

3)What are you using clay and peat moss for? Why would you put the dirt back into the bog? We use pea gravel for the medium in the bog garden.

4) It doesnt matter if you buy chemicals to de-chlorinate the tap water but you may just want to leave the water sitting out for 24 hours because leaving the water out dechlorinates the water all by itself. But as long as you dont have fish or CP's you dont need to do either. It will do it all by itself naturally *S*

I still would like to know what you need the clay soil and peat moss for. Im just not seeing the picture here.

I hope that helps

(1) If I don't plant CPs in the bog, can I use tap water? You can use tap water, however, in a closed bog system there will be a buildup of minerals and salts which will cause problems down the road.

(2) I live in northeast Indiana where the dirt below the first inch is solid clay (betonite (sp) doesnt have anything on Indiana clay!), so do I even need a polyethelene layer? I am afraid if I put that down, the bog won't drain at all and become stagnant. (3)Most instructions I have found say to use the dirt you dug out of the hole to mix with the peat etc., but do I really want to put clay back in? Why would you want to dig a hole just refill it with what you took out? Use a liner, if you feel the need to put holes in it, OK, but that's not necessary either. My bog has been in since 1998 (dismantled and moved too!)and there has never been a problem with smell or mosquitos or stagnation.

(4) If I decholorinate (sp) the tap water would that work? not necessary.

Great info. Dendy, you use only pea gravel for the "soil"? The sites Ihave visited says to use spagnum peat, gravel, sand, pine needles, and some of the dirt you took out--so I was just wondering exactly what kind of mix I should have. Although plants in my pond are planted only in pea gravel on the bottom, or between the rocks on the sides. And, I thought some drainage was necessary so not to become stagnant. I am really too new to this.
Fred, evidently there is a difference between a "bog" and a "wet garden" ?I got the inference for the de chlor because of the CP wanting only rain water (thought the dechlor could let me use tap water, guess not)But if I have a "wet garden" couldn't I use plain tap water? I didn't want to use a liner, because the clay here will keep the water in, In fact we had a rain yesterday and the 16" hole filled up and if I would have had the garden planted, I think it would have floated away! Because of the rain, I am wondering if it would be just a big mess and I should stop now.

I keep reading about CP. What is it?

I think carnivorous plants.

I am also curious about the clay which we have here in SW Michigan. I have been reading about natural ponds and they use clay (betonite) to seal the bottom so I was thinking like Katybee, that I could clear the soil down to clay and skip a liner. Our clay soil is so heavy and wet I can hardly lift a small shovelful. Do natural ponds work because they add extra layers of clay or do they use some special quality betonite?

You can construct a pond or bog with clay, its called puddling. It's what they used to do before concrete, fibreglass and butyl liners came along. Holes were lined with soot to stop worm activity, then good clay was used to line the pool, a couple of inches was all that was used. They were difficult to maintain, usually through cracks appearing, roots etc breaking the seal and letting the water soak away through porous soil below. But where you've solid clay it should be OK.

Essentially you need good plastic clay. Test by taking a lump and roll it into a sausage shape. If it's pliable, damp and holds together well it should be OK. If it breaks or cracks, you don't have such good clay as you think.

Dig your shape out then remove any roots or stones and compact the surface. Keep the surface of the clay moist and you have your basic natural pool. Simply add water!!

You need to keep the clay at the surface moist, if it dries out it will crack. You should also plant in baskets or in added soil/pea gravel....whatever mix you're going to use, not directly in the clay.

Cheers Greenmanplants.