Nice back yard setup! I wouldn’t bother with external filtration or a bottom drain unless you’re planning on buying/growing top tier Japanese koi. If it’s in your budget, I’d recommend you expand the pond and also add a wetland filter. Your water will remain crystal clear, and it adds to the beauty of the feature instead of adding eyesores of external systems for filtration. Widen the berm behind the waterfall so it looks a little less volcano-ish, and add plants. The lemons shouldn’t be a problem, I wouldn’t remove it unless you plan to replace with another tree. Shade=less algae and clearer water, and you don’t want to wait for it grow. For plants- iris, Japanese sweet flag, monkey flower, will do great on the margins of the pond and stream, and get a water lily in the pond. The bog/wetland filter would make a huge improvement to water quality, and will create more beauty and area for aquatic plants. Enjoy!
Nice back yard setup! I wouldn’t bother with external filtration or a bottom drain unless you’re planning on buying/growing top tier Japanese koi. If it’s in your budget, I’d recommend you expand the pond and also add a wetland filter. Your water will remain crystal clear, and it adds to the beauty of the feature instead of adding eyesores of external systems for filtration. Widen the berm behind the waterfall so it looks a little less volcano-ish, and add plants. The lemons shouldn’t be a problem, I wouldn’t remove it unless you plan to replace with another tree. Shade=less algae and clearer water, and you don’t want to wait for it grow. For plants- iris, Japanese sweet flag, monkey flower, will do great on the margins of the pond and stream, and get a water lily in the pond.
The bog/wetland filter would make a huge improvement to water quality, and will create more beauty and area for aquatic plants.
Enjoy!