No rush I suppose. They say they cannot even get cell phone so I guess the website won't be useful just yet. Oh, well. I thought I was being helpful.

Wow, Albert. I hope you weren't expecting an answer in just twenty minutes. I just logged in at 4pm and your post is at the top of the list so I would guess that by 6pm my time you will be getting some answers. Maybe I just read you wrong. I'm in a really bad mood today. I logged in to cheer myself up.

The thing is that there are so very many sources and they all appeal to different ponders. There are so-o-o-o many ponds and so many personal preferences. No two ponds are alike. I must have looked at a hundred sources in the many years I was just dreaming. Most of them had some good ideas, some were obviously written by someone who had no real experience at all. You catch on to those in a hurry. There are some basics that should be followed and I will list a few. I'm sure others will have additional advice.

Your area may have zoning restrictions. Check it out. I can't imagine having to fill in my pond for lack of a permit.

The next thing to consider is location. A higher spot is preferable to a low spot. This prevents runoff containing chemicals from getting into the pond. It also prevents ground water from interfering with the liner. Drainage can be critical in some cases. Accidentally flooding a neighbors driveway due to an icing problem is not a good thing especially if it could have been avoided. It is better to site the pond away from deciduous trees to reduce maintenance and possible intrusion from roots. Leaves mess up everything to do with the pond but sometimes it is unavoidable. The pond should be located where it is in good viewing range for pleasure and safety. It needs to be accessible for safety and maintenance and access to electricity and water.

The size of the pond is determined by many factors. If you want to have fish as permanent residents they need a particular amount of oxygen rich water for good health. A lot of fish mean larger pond size and fish grow and reproduce. Koi need more space than the comet family. They need a depth of at least three feet somewhere for exercise, protection from predators, winter cold(ice cover)and summer heat. Many if not most ponders discover they wish their pond was larger. This can get out of hand if you don't have enough experience before you dig your final pond. Starting small and cheap is no disgrace. Too small and you may be starting over. My 10 year old pond is 1000 gallons, approximately 10 feet by 10 feet. Yes, I wish it was larger, but I am too old to indulge. I will play with details.

Pond shape is personal preference. Some people like geometric shapes, some prefer more natural shapes. If there is a ponding community that has a tour near you, take it. You may find your own preference is different from what you expect and may get some great ideas for your area.

Digging the hole...Well, if you have a spouse like mine, you can dig it yourself by hand if it is only a moderate size. It took me most of a summer, but then I am 5 feet tall and had flaming fibromyalgia and could only do it a little bit at a time. It does make the hole very personal. Those who have access to more hands or motorized equipment can do it over a weekend.

Liners are expensive and going cheap can create problems. There are all sorts of possibilities but a majority on this forum seem to go with .45mill EPDM, which is rubber sheeting made almost exclusively by Goodyear. There is no proven difference between that sold for ponds and that sold for roofing material although some are leery of the roofing stuff. Some roofing material is treated for resistance to moss and algae. It is not appropriate for ponds. Check the prices and availability in your area. Sizes vary and larger sizes must be special ordered. I got mine half price at an end of season sale. Liner underlayment depends on the soil. I have clay with no intrusions except a couple of smooth tree roots so I skipped the underlayment after the carpet scrap I tried rotted and stank to heaven because of the slow drainage rate of heavy clay even on a rise. Rocky soil or sandy debris would be a different story.

Filtration and aeration is crucial. You can go with high-tech solutions or DIY such as the Skippy filter with poly quilt batting. I have a 100 gallon Skippy that I am quite content with. I clean it once in the spring and once in the fall. Others here will insist that high-tech is better. I do know it is much more expensive. You can always change to high-tech when more money is available. I think it is a personal choice.

An over sized pump is better than one that is just barely adequate for the gallons. There are many factors that reduce efficiency. More gallons per hour going through the filter are better than less. I wouldn't use less than 2100 gph for my 1000 gallon pond and sometimes use a supplemental pump for various reasons. Expect someone else to add to this info. I don't buy or sell a lot of pumps so I have no way to compare. A backup pump can be a good idea for emergencies.

I use a large aquarium bubbler in addition to the waterfall for aeration. Enclosed in a waterproof container it lasts about 3 to 4 years which is how long the diaphragm rubber holds out. That is what I would expect from indoor usage. I used to be able to find new diaphragms at pet supply shops but I guess no one carries them anymore. Aerators made exclusively for ponds are available.

Electricity is essential and safe installation with a GFCI circuit is very, very important for safety. An extension cord is not a good idea.

Sorry, I gotta go feed the critters and fix dinner. Hope this is helpful.

Hi sleepless; very nice of you to give that good introduction. But albert was just asking for a website. Sorry, I can't be more useful since I mainly use this one. But what's wrong with this site. It even has some FAQs at the top. If we need a good starting point I would suggest searching this site for cliffandjoann. They have the most beautiful pond and their older posts have moderately detailed instructions on their construction. Construction might be a good search term too.

And finally, yes this site is a little slow. But the rose area is the only site on gardenweb with blistering fast response.

As I attempted, but apparently failed to suggest, the question in moot.

The people are moving into an area that does not even have cell phone coverage let alone internet. There are still a few places out here that are blessed with such deprivations.

OK albert, the question IS moot. It was totally unclear. We assumed that you were trying to be helpful by giving 'persons' some help; and you, after all, DO have internet. So, thank you for attempting to rapidly correct your initial post even if we missed its intent.

Anyway sleepless, your thoughts are always helpful and someone will scan this and learn/remember something.

While not many folk could or would write an all singing and dancing book on how to make a pond for a desert climate there's many tips that can be picked up from other folks experience

gardenpondforum.com is about the best ponding website, fully featured, very competent moderators, excellent participation etc

I certainly didn't mean to ignore this forum. LOL. It is the pond forum I go to the most and I owe most of what I have learned to the posters here. The OP suggested (to my mind at least) that he wanted a fairly quick overview rather than doing the kind of research I did over the years. I simply gave the shortest version I could noting that others would be expected to add to my little screed. In other words, if he was interested after reading my response, I would have expected him to read more on this forum, including the FAQs then going to other suggested sites and sources.

While there are a number of excellent books and authors out there, they can be pretty specialized. The most informative are not cheap. A couple of mine ran $100.00 They make great references but for a very basic start-up they may be a bit too much unless your local library has them. I have at least 40 books and 7 large loose leaf binders of printouts from this site and others, the DNR and EXT services collected over a number of years.(I really need to spend time creating an index this winter.) While I am no expert, I tried to reduce it to the absolute basics without any cost for a complete beginner. I don't want to confuse first time ponders.

Complexities can come later. Cliff and Joanne's pond photos are a superb example of a larger pond with many complexities. I love what they have created. But it isn't a beginners pond in the desert.

Sdavis, thank you for the suggestion. I will take a look.