Raising the level of your water supply

42. If the stream that supplies your water is not much higher than your ponds, it may be difficult to get the water to run down when you want to fill them.

43. By building a barrage, you can raise the level of the stream so that water will run down more easily into your fish- ponds.

barrage of tree branches

44. You can build a simple barrage (using a woven mesh of tree branches like the one shown above). You can also use loose stones or rocks or logs set into the stream bottom.

Barrage

45. A barrage does not hold back all of the water that runs down the stream. Depending on how it is built, some of the water will be held back and some of the water will flow through or over the barrage.

46. If the tree branches, logs or rocks are placed tightly together, the water level behind the barrage will be higher.

47. If the tree branches, logs or rocks are not placed so tightly, the water level behind the barrage will be lower.

48. If you build a barrage and too much water flows through, you can hold back more water by putting more branches, logs or rocks on the barrage.