The ocean is never far away in Santa Cruz, but sometimes the most enchanting water is the pond just outside your door. A backyard pond draws in reflections of trees and clouds, casting a shimmering spell that transforms an ordinary yard into a pocket of calm. Even the smallest vessel—a whiskey barrel tucked under a shade tree, a ceramic pot on a patio—can host that elemental magic.
For Dan Rutledge, spokesperson for the Monterey Bay Koi and Pond Club, one glimpse was enough to set his life’s course. He was staying at the Disneyland Hotel when he first wandered across a koi pond. A conversation with the keeper left him astonished.
“He was talking about $20,000 fish, and that just blew me away,” Rutledge recalls. Soon he joined the local pond club, even before he had a pond. From there he learned, experimented, and eventually built three ponds of his own. Before long, Rutledge was not only tending his own water gardens but helping others design theirs, eventually turning that passion into a full-fledged business: Pond Life, headquartered in Boulder Creek.
Building the Dream Pond
Whether teeming with koi or left fishless, ponds cast their spell through sound and movement. Rutledge often reminds newcomers that koi are the “frosting on the cake.” In Japan, they’re called living jewels. “Watching them swim so gracefully, seeing the colors shift, it’s mesmerizing to the point where you don’t think about anything else,” he says.
For those inspired to take the plunge, building a koi pond requires both planning and commitment. Outside city limits, permits aren’t usually necessary; inside Santa Cruz, you’ll need to check regulations. Choices abound: pondless waterfalls (which provide sound and ambiance without open water), preformed fiberglass basins, or full concrete ponds. Rubber liners can reduce cost, though they may not last as long.
Size matters too. A true koi pond often starts at 3,000 to 5,000 gallons. A pond measuring 12 feet long, 8 feet wide and 5 feet deep can run $15 to $17 per gallon to build.
“It’s not a cheap hobby,” Rutledge warns. “It’s like having a horse. Buying it is just the beginning—the real work and cost comes after.” High-quality koi range from $1,000 to $10,000, with some specialty fish fetching much more.
With proper care, koi can live 30 to 40 years in the U.S., and other pond fish—goldfish, Chinese banded sharks, even bass in separate enclosures—can thrive as well.
When Nature Takes Notice
New pond owners quickly discover they’re not the only ones entranced by glittering koi. Herons see a backyard pond as a buffet. Rutledge has learned how to design ponds to outwit them. Depth is the best defense: “Great blue herons have 30-inch legs. They don’t like to get their breast feathers wet, so if your pond is deeper than 36 inches—ideally 4 or 5 feet—they stay away.”
Raccoons are trickier. They can’t dive, but their nimble paws can probe shallow water and scoop up fish. “They’ll actually work in teams, pushing the fish toward one another,” Rutledge says. “They’re very smart predators.” His designs use steep vertical walls and overhangs that keep raccoons from wading in. Motion-activated sprinklers and strategic landscaping add further defense, allowing koi to glide undisturbed beneath the moonlight.
The Club Connection
The Monterey Bay Koi and Pond Club has about 28 active members who maintain dozens of ponds. The group is a lifeline for beginners. “Many people decide they want a pond and do the DIY thing, but in six months the pond is green, the pump doesn’t work, and they want to fill it in,” Rutledge says. “The club has people with years of knowledge who can help you do it right the first time.” Members also give back, donating to projects like the Watsonville wetlands restoration and salmon preservation, as well as funding scholarships for students in aquatic veterinary medicine and oceanography.
Favorite Projects
Over the years, Rutledge has designed and created ponds that verge on the spectacular: a 23,000-gallon pond in Aptos with a 65-foot waterfall and 66 tons of boulders, and a mountainside pond in Boulder Creek with sweeping views toward the historic Brookdale Lodge. His background in architecture shows in every blueprint and plumbing line. “Watching it come to life is something I really get pleasure from,” he says.
In the end, Rutledge believes ponds are about more than rare fish or fountains. They are about beauty, reflection and presence. For most, the real joy is in watching a well-kept pond shimmer with life, day after day.
“Making the world a more beautiful place—that’s the whole idea,” he says.
The Monterey Bay Koi and Pond Club serves Santa Cruz County and welcomes new members. Call 831.338.7288, email dr********@gm***.com or visit monterey-bay-koi-and-pond-club.org.
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