The Great Sandy Lagoon Debate: A New Twist on Water Features or Too Tough to Manage?

Lagoon style luxury pools are the ultimate way to bring an oasis into your backyard. Having a pool on your property to rival some of the most stunning luxury pools in the world is no longer an impossible dream.

In the past, many might have dismissed ponds with a sand bottom as being too difficult to clean. However, a combination of tech and hydraulics design with the right fish acting as a filtration system, water can flow up through the sand year-round keeping your pond in a clean, organic equilibrium.

Sand-Bottom Pools Occurring in Nature

The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park in northeastern Brazil serves as the ultimate motivation for creating a small sandy oasis in your own backyard. 

With 43 miles of coastline, the interior of the national park is made up of sand dunes. During the rainy season, the valleys between the dunes fill with clear freshwater lagoons, which are prevented from draining due to the rock beneath the sand.

Surprisingly, these sandy lagoons are home to over 100 fish and plant species making up their own tiny ecosystems. 

Bringing Sandy Lagoons to Your Backyard in the USA

It’s no surprise that the natural landscape in Brazil inspired landscape architects there to create many small ecosystems in the form of natural pools. 

At Reflections Water Gardens, we wanted to consider how to incorporate this style of natural beauty into Lagoon-Style Luxury Pools of our own creation.

Is a Sandy Lagoon Right for You?

The lagoon-style pool is a highly customizable luxury style pool. Bold shades of turquoise and blue are highly customizable to “wow” your guests. 

The pristine water clarity allows for countless striking design options. 

Countless Authentic Design Options

• Swim-up bar
• Beach installation
• Waterfalls
• Palm trees
• Small caves or grottoes 
• Colored lighting

Now, with a white sand bottom made possible with a newly developed technology and hydraulic design, standing in your sandy lagoon pool will feel natural, too. 

Pond Bottoms: Sand, Gravel, or Rocks?

As a general rule, any pond will need plenty of water flow to keep the debris moving through either a filtration device or the sand itself. Pond cleaning will become difficult if the water lacks regular movement.

Even highly chlorinated pools require a yearly cleaning, and it’s important to discuss maintenance options. Natural lagoons can actually require less maintenance as the pond can sustain itself.   

Pros of Filling the Pond Bottom

• Hides the liner material and makes the lagoon look more natural
• Sand can change the pond color entirely
• Rocks provide a place for aquatic plants to attach their roots
• Acts as a home for beneficial bacteria to break down organic matter

Cons of Filling the Pond Bottom

• If leaves or other organic material build up into the pool, it can be difficult to remove or clean

Ultimately, if you’re considering a sand bottom for your pond, its difficulty of upkeep will depend on how well the structured ecosystem functions in the pond. 

Creating a Controlled Ecosystem in Your Pool

A balanced and healthy natural pool with a smaller organic load will maintain itself over time. If the design is executed with the correct aquatic plants, fish, and climate, the lagoon may require less cleaning than a traditional gravel bottom.

Much like the protected natural environment of Brazil’s National Park, the crystal-clear tranquil beauty can be maintained with the right ecosystem in your backyard.

What is the ideal fish for a natural pool with a sandy bottom? 

Natural bottom feeders like koi fish will root through the algae that naturally grows on the sand. Depending on the climate or location of your water feature, other game fish such as minnows or bass can also act as sand cleaners.

With no need to over-feed or overstock the pond, your natural lagoon can act as a true ecosystem existing in a natural balance. 

The Ideal Climate for a Lagoon Style Pool

Sand-Bottom Lagoons are an ideal luxury pool for year-round warm climates in dry cities such as Las Vegas. Additionally, they function well year-round in more humid climates like Florida or elsewhere in the Southern United States. 

The numerous aquatic plant options make sand lagoons ideal for customers looking to create a desert oasis or tropical feel, but sand bottom ponds and pools are still an excellent option for colder Northern climates, too. They simply must be winterized in colder months like any other conventional pool or pond. 

Featured Design Options

• Desert oasis with desert plants
• Tropical or Caribbean feel and design
• Beach effect and sandy beaches leading into the sand-bottom pool 

Fish and aquatic plants will act as a natural filtration system keeping your pool clean, and combined with the hydraulics design, this equilibrium allows for a number of different effects to complement the existing climate and keep your water moving.

Design the Tropical Paradise of Your Dreams

A tropical and exotic sandy lagoon-style pool can exist the way you’ve always imagined it. By bringing the beach to your backyard and feeling real sand between your toes, you can bring the memories of your last tropical vacation home.

Our expert team can assist you with any questions you may have about the installation of your natural water feature or pool. Let the experienced design team at Reflections Water Gardens create the backyard you always imagined with a Sandy Lagoon.