Fountains and ponds on treed Aurora lots

Many of the best properties in Aurora, from Aurora Estates to the Hills of St. Andrew, have the same feature: big, mature trees. They are a large part of why people buy there. They also make water features more work, and it pays to plan for that from the start.

Leaves are the main problem

A fountain or pond under a canopy will catch leaves, seeds, pollen and twigs for most of the year, not just in October. That debris sinks, breaks down and feeds algae. It also clogs pumps.

The design answers are straightforward:

• Skimmers and pre-filters on ponds and larger basins, so debris is caught before it reaches the pump.
• Pumps sized with headroom, so a partly clogged intake does not stop the water.
• Easy access to filters and pump vaults. If cleaning means lifting heavy stone, it will not happen often enough.
• Netting in the fall for ponds, from leaf drop until shutdown.

Site it away from the roots

A tree's roots spread well past the edge of its branches. Digging a pond basin or a fountain footing through that zone can damage the tree, and over time the roots can crack or lift a basin.

We place water features outside the main root zone wherever we can and adjust the design when we cannot: a shallower feature, a raised basin or a self-contained fountain that needs less excavation. It is worth having an arborist's opinion on large or valuable trees before deciding.

Sunlight matters too. A pond in deep shade stays cooler and grows less algae, which is good. A planted pond needs some sun for the plants to do well. Finding the balance is part of siting.

Watercourses and conservation regulation

Some Aurora properties back onto creeks, wetlands or valley lands. Work near those features can be regulated by the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, and parts of Aurora are also within the Oak Ridges Moraine planning area. Whether a permit is needed depends on how close the work is and what is being built.

We check this during design. A pond that connects to or drains toward a natural watercourse needs particular care, both for approval and for the health of the creek downstream.

Choosing the right feature

Under trees, simpler is often better:

• Bubbling urns and fountains with a hidden reservoir are the easiest to keep clean, since the water is mostly underground.
• Wall fountains set against the house catch fewer leaves than a freestanding basin in the middle of a lawn.
• Natural ponds suit larger lots and wooded settings, but need proper filtration and a plan for fall.

Fall shutdown comes earlier here

Trees drop most of their leaves in October, and colder nights in the northern part of York Region can arrive sooner than near the lake. We usually shut down fountains in Aurora toward the earlier end of the fall window: clean the basin, remove and store pumps, blow out lines and protect the stone. Ponds with fish stay full, with a small opening kept in the ice through winter.

Our Fountain Care plan books the spring opening and fall shutdown automatically so it never gets missed. If you are in Aurora and thinking about adding water to your property, see how we design fountains and water features.