Stealth ponds?

I saw in one of Paul W's presentations the "stealth pond" concept. Where can I find more information on this? Thanks!!

Shhh!!! It's a secret!


Seriously, I haven't heard of this until now, and the only result for a search of permies for "stealth" is your post.

What is a "stealth pond"?

A pond with lots n lots of floating vegetation, maybe growing in some sort of floating medium i.e. duckweed. It was camouflaged in a food forest-type situation. Have only seen a side-view drawn diagram of one. Duke P. Wheaton had it as one of the "bricks" in his Brick Presentation.

Talia Ilom wrote: "stealth pond"

I had a 'guerilla ponding' type mental picture; and while it isn't the original idea, I have visions of moonlit excavations...

What is the reason for a stealth pond? I can understand, say, if one lived in a place where catching and storing rain was illegal.
Is this what we are talking about?

Another poster on a different thread reminds us that a stealth pond is a giant hole with big rocks at the bottom working up to smaller rocks, then dirt and plants at the top. I would really like to know more about how this is constructed/used. I wonder if anyone has actual experience to share.

Cris Bessette wrote:
What is the reason for a stealth pond? I can understand, say, if one lived in a place where catching and storing rain was illegal.
Is this what we are talking about?

Among other things.

Create a thermal mass,
Create a water storage tank.
Create an aquatic microclimate.
Create an aquatic ecosystem.

All while sticking it to your local HOA or water rights gestapo types who don't want you to have a pond, or require they be made with BOATLOADS of plastic.

EDIT::: unfortunately I have no personal experience to share.

Elyce Brown : This is a major simplification, but If you have a stretch of' impermeable ground' in a 'low spot' - and a French drain that has no-where to drain to -
you have created a stealth pond. In some places these are called "Dry Wells'' and are allowed as best alternate practice

Certainly a case could be made that any Large Outdoor grey water catchment is a stealth pond ! This one can be a local vector for mosquitos

Hope this opens up the discussion a little Big AL !

Ok, not a stealth pond, but...
So the story goes that Sepp Holzer was visiting a group of indigenous rebels, guerilla fighters, if you will. They needed a water source, but were not allowed to tap into the local water source, which, I believe, was on a military base.

So they built a stealth stream to get water without lettng anyone know. They eventually dig out a small stream, section by section. As they dug out a section, removing the top chunks of turf/grass and saving it, they then filled it in with rocks and then placed the piece of turf/top ground cover back on top of the rocks, so it would grow back into place, leaving an underground stream of sorts. The built it section by section until they finally reached and tapped into the reservoir/pond on the military base. No one detected their work, and their water problem was solved.

Creative solutions are the best solutions,
Seth