Garrett Newman needed dirt while building his family’s Texas home. What he ended up with was an 80-foot pond in the front yard.
In 2015, Newman paid about $4,500 to have a massive hole dug on the family’s 11-acre property. The excavation took two days and left behind a pit measuring roughly 80 feet wide, 80 feet long, and 18 feet deep.
The original goal was simply to use the excavated dirt elsewhere on the property, explained Newman’s wife, Sara, as reported by People. However, once the hole was there, Garrett decided there was no reason to fill it back in—with dirt, anyway.
Instead, he let the rain do the filling. Within about a month, according to People, the giant pit had become a pond — and what started as part of a construction project would eventually become the family’s own swimming and fishing spot.
The Construction Hole Became a Swimming Hole
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@sarabnewman You’ll find us here all summer #pond #swimmingpool #home @Garrett Newman ♬ original sound – Sara Newman
Once the pond was full, Garrett stocked it with fish. People reports that Sara said Garrett and his sons would go fishing and bring some of their catches home to put into the new pond.
The water feature took on an even bigger role after Garrett and Sara married and combined their families. Sara brought five children from a previous marriage, while Garrett had three, giving the couple eight children who could make very good use of an enormous swimming hole on a hot Texas day, according to People.
The family has since added a sandy beach area, and the pond has become a multi-purpose activity center for swimming, fishing, and watching frogs and turtles. “We love going out and floating in the water on a hot Texas day,” said Sara, as reported by People.
It has also become a gathering place. According to People, the family held a pond party about a month ago, with friends bringing floats and spending the day in the water.
The Family Won’t Be Shopping for a Pool
Sara also prefers the pond to the upkeep of a conventional swimming pool. People writes that the family periodically cleans the pond and mows around it.
Sometimes they add blue coloring to the water, while not having the daily chemical checks associated with maintaining their idea of a traditional pool.
Such has been the Newmans’ experience, though others can have different results trying something similar. Texas A&M AgriLife Extension maintains an entire pond-management program covering water testing, aquatic vegetation, predators, and leak repairs for Texans managing ponds for recreation or food production.
For the Newmans, the unique, rustic setup fits their country lifestyle. “A pool is a big undertaking and cost. We do have eight kids together, so I know it would be used,” Sara explained. “However, for us it’s not a necessity at the moment.”