Dew pond?

[bearhire]

a stupid question im afraid but what is a dew pond?

[-oXo-]

A Dew pond is an artificial pond usually sited on the top of a hill, intended for watering livestock. Dew ponds are used in areas where a natural supply of surface water may not be readily available. The name dew pond (sometimes cloud pond or mist pond) is first found in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society in 1865. Despite the name, their primary source of water is believed to be rainfall rather than dew or mist. If the pond's temperature is kept low, evaporation (a major water loss) may be significantly reduced, thus maintaining the collected rainwater.

 

They are usually shallow, saucer-shaped and lined with puddled clay, chalk or marl on an insulating straw layer over a bottom layer of chalk or lime. To deter earthworms from their natural tendency of burrowing upwards, which in a short while would make the clay lining porous, a layer of soot would be incorporated or lime mixed with the clay. The clay is usually covered with straw to prevent cracking by the sun and a final layer of chalk rubble or broken stone to protect the lining from the hoofs of sheep or cattle.

 

Basically a duck pond for shooting over.

Edited March 6, 2010 by -oXo-

[bearhire]

thanks for that, learn something new every day

[poorwullie]

Comprehensive.

[Saker Clive]

This is one where I fly my birds........................................

 

[bearhire]

nice piccy! :( what bird of prey is that?

[-oXo-]

nice piccy! what bird of prey is that?

Looks like a Saker Falcon to me.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saker_Falcon