Julia

Clarification please -- Are you asking how deep it can be without having it fenced in or ?

Les

I guess that's what I mean. I know that swimming pools (as defined by statute) have to have a 5 foot fence around them. And I know that there's a maximum depth and/or size allowed before water garden pools have to be fenced.

Have you tried calling your extension office? They should know or be able to find out for you.

Good idea. Thanks.

Call your county permit office too. I get lots of useful info from PG County.

Lynn

The cooperative extension directed me to the Montgomery County building code laws. I've searched all over the various laws, found the ones for swimming pools but there seems to be nothing regulating ornamental pools.

Maybe ask your insurance company. There may be no local statute on it, but the insurance companies probably require fencing for anything over two feet deep.

It seems there is no statute or regulation governing ornamental ponds. As far as I know, my insurance has no requirements about such things, but I won't worry about that too much because I'm not planning on making anything over 2 feet deep anyway.

I looked into this down here in Central VA- and my county has no regulations for ponds, just swimming pools. I do worry about liability myself- it would be an 'attractive nuisence' and you may be sued if some kid falls in and drowns if it is not fenced. I know 2-3 year olds should not be in your yard unsupervised, but they do get away from the parents from time to time. My parents had to fence the sandbox to keep my sister in! She was a roamer.

I live in a semi-rural area on 6 acres and it's all fenced so I won't worry too much about toddlers falling into my pond ;)