Having always loved our summers swimming in Lake Tahoe…
I am particularly fond of this collection of natural ponds featured recently in Houzz. I was surprised however when I read that that they were created in Austria and Germany in the 1980’s. Thinking that natural pools were designed originally by Mother Nature, as only she could capture the sun reflecting off the pebbles and rocks on the bottom of our rivers, lakes and streams, I very much appreciated these designs as a close second to the first creator!
There is nothing more refreshing than swimming in fresh water, it’s chemical free and much better for your hair and skin. Natural pools are constructed using wetland plants and gravel to filter the water creating an ecosystem that organically cleans the pool water. There is a mathematical calculation required to design the regeneration zone relating size/depth to the volume of water to be cleaned. But the results are lovely to enjoy. Using three types of aquatic plants, floating, emergent and submerged the natural pools can be small enough for an urban yard or large for a rural area.
The cost per square foot for construction is the same for natural swimming pools as it is for traditional pools. The differential however is that the size of a natural swimming pool is generally twice the size of a transitional pool because of the regeneration zone. Cost of maintenance are about the same.
What more could one ask of a backyard pool…soothing, contemplative, cleansing, ecosystem friendly and visually over the top in beauty!
