PPKWGS Pond Tour - 2025
Sponsored By
The Pikes Peak Koi & Water Garden Society
We extend a warm welcome to our 36th annual city-wide Water Garden Tour. Scheduled for July 26th and 27th, 2025, this year's tour invites you to explore a collection of eight stunning water gardens, open for viewing from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, unless otherwise specified. We kindly ask attendees to visit only on the designated days during tour hours. This self-guided tour is offered free of charge to the public. For your convenience, printable street maps detailing each location can be found at www.ppwgs.org under the Pond Tour link. This also provides brief descriptions to enhance your experience. If you prefer, you can use this link for a Google Map of the Tour As you enjoy the tour, we ask that you respect the privacy of our gracious hosts by refraining from entering their homes. While some hosts may offer refreshments, please plan accordingly as amenities may vary. Capture memories and inspiration through photographs and ideas, and remember that public restrooms are accessible throughout the city, but not on-site at the tour homes. The Club's mission is to cultivate a friendly and welcoming environment dedicated to the promotion, development, and expansion of water gardening, and the care, admiration, exhibition, and responsible ownership of Koi. We aim to disseminate knowledge on these subjects by engaging in educational and supportive activities while fostering a sense of community. Our monthly meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month from March through October, beginning at 7:00 PM. If you want to learn more about our club, join us for a meeting at the Mountain View Church of Christ, conveniently located at 1080 East La Salle Street. This is one block south of the west end of Constitution.
Enjoy The Tour!
*** This map package has been organized by location. ***
*** You will need to plan your own route. ***
*** Visit all of the water gardens at your own pace. ***
Dolora & Bill Griesinger's Ponds - Saturday & Sunday
View PondPond Description
Located about a hundred yards off the road, our front yard oasis for morning coffee consists of two ponds linked by a short stream and waterfall. Water circulates by pump from the lower ponder via two separate routes, through a UV light and up to three upflow filters, and gravity feeds into the upper pond. The upper pond contains the majority of the pond plants and acts as a brood pond for several goldfish, and also acts as a sort of bog and settling pond before the water returns to the lower pond via the stream and waterfall. The lower pond is home to a very entertaining Red Eared Slider turtle, about a dozen goldfish, and a few errant pink cloud minnows that were originally put in as feeders for the turtle. The turtle, goldfish, and even the minnows have all become friends and live together as one big happy family.
- Pond Gallons: 950
- Handicap Accessible: Yes
Pond Address
1625 Stella Dr. Colorado Springs, CO 80921Directions
If northbound on I-25, exit east on Baptist Rd. Head east (about two miles) to the top of the hill. Turn right onto Tari Dr, then a very quick left onto Becky Dr. The Speed limit is 20 MPH, so take your time. At the "T", turn left onto Stella Dr. We are the first house on the right AFTER passing Sun Hills Dr.
If northbound on Hwy 83, turn left at the light for North Gate Rd. At the next light, turn right onto Roller Coaster Road. Proceed for about two miles to Stella Drive. Turn left onto Stella Drive, Fox Run Park will be on the right. Proceed about one-half mile to 1625 Stella on the left.
As a side note, a stop at Fox Run Park is worth a visit. There are two very large ponds located in the park. The upper pond has some pretty large Koi. The park has numerous trails and nice views of the peak.
Ward and Kris Alcorn's Pond - Saturday & Sunday
View PondPond Description
One day, sitting in my backyard looking at struggling grass and a lot of dirt, I decided I wanted a pond. I picked up the shovel and started digging. At night I read about pond building and watched videos. I added a waterfall and a bog filter.
I then reached out to local pond owners and stocked my pond with plants and fish, and watched for local rock being given away to line the edges.
Now one year old, the pond is a source of joy for our family. My hand-dug pond with a waterfall and bog filter is home to a thriving ecosystem of birds, frogs, garter snakes, and we enjoy them all. Our homemade filters and lots of plants with the bog filter keep the water clean and clear with a natural look where we sit and enjoy birds coming to bathe and drink, and of course, enjoy our koi and goldfish.
We look forward to sharing our pond with you.
- Pond Gallons: 2400
- Handicap Accessible: Yes
Pond Address
9425 Broken Bow Ct, Colorado Springs, CO 80908Directions
15 minutes from Black Forest and Woodmen intersection- North on Volmer, East on Burgess, South on Raygor, West on Stapleton, and South on Broken Bow. We have the gray barns with white fences. Take the first driveway down to the barn and follow the signs into the backyard.
Lori and Ron Villa's Pond - Saturday & Sunday
View PondPond Description
We started our pond obsession about 12 years ago. Not sure we'll ever be done tweaking it. It's about 16,000 gallons, though it's hard to measure because of the shape and different depths--the deepest is approximately 6.5 feet, and the shallowest is 2 feet. It has a waterfall and feeds two streams. We added a bog approximately 24 feet by 4 feet a few years ago. We decided on natural filtration with the bog and waterfall basins filled with Bacti-Twist. I love whimsy and statuary with several pond spitters, a fairy garden that has dragons protecting the fairies, a pet cemetery, and an animal scene in some of the beds surrounding the pond. This has become my favorite place to relax and refresh my soul. Hard to beat watching our colorful fish lazily swimming around and enjoying their home.
- Pond Gallons: 16000
- Handicap Accessible: Yes
Pond Address
10090 Stapleton Drive., Colorado Springs, CO 80908Directions
Turn right onto Burgess from Vollmer. Turn right onto Raygor. Turn left onto Stapleton Drive. If coming off Meridian, turn left on Rex, right on Goodson, left on Burgess. Stapleton doesn't go through from Meridian.
Harry and Sariena Riemer's Pond - Saturday & Sunday
View PondPond Description
I built this third rendition of my koi pond in June of 2022. By far my largest to date. It measures around 20 ft by 10 ft and is around 4000 gallons. A city pond, as I refer to it, is more focused on my fish versus the landscape. I don’t have big trees, shade, or natural features to enhance the pond. I had to create my own environment for my fish. I feel my pond is a good example of what can be done in any yard in the city. My fish are happy and thriving.
Presently, I have 29 fish living in the pond. Seven goldfish and 22 beautiful koi. They range anywhere from 9 to 26 inches. A beautiful bouquet of colors. In 2024, I built a small bog to supplement my filtration system and add more space for plants. I’m a firm believer in more plants, the better. My pond features several species of plants.
I started this adventure in 2012 with a small 7 by 7 ft pond, with Lillie's, to remind my wife of her home country in Thailand. With the help of PPKWGS, it has grown into a lifetime passion. Thank you!
- Pond Gallons: 4000
- Handicap Accessible: Yes
Pond Address
7295 Chancellor Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80920Directions
The directions from the nearest intersection (Woodmen Rd and Austin Bluffs Rd) are as follows: Go north on Austin Bluffs and turn right almost immediately onto Descartes Rd. From Descartes, travel east to Chancellor Drive at the top of the hill. Turn right on Chancellor and proceed to the end of the road.
I live in a cul-de-sac with plenty of parking.
Doug & Denise Radzanowski's Pond - Saturday & Sunday
View PondPond Description
Our pond was built in 2020, originally only 2 ft deep with lots of rocks on the bottom. Later that year we had the depth increased to five and a half feet at the lowest level. It's 11 ft by 22 ft. Very few plants but a lot of fish. We have 45 fish. We received 28 fish in one day with our daughter's help. Our filtration is a Nexus 320 and a 20,000 gallon bead filter. We also have a 20,000 gallon UV light. There is a 10-foot waterfall that runs 6,000 gallons per hour. We have a solar heater installed.
- Pond Gallons: 8000
- Handicap Accessible: Yes
Pond Address
3305 Cowhand Dr, Colorado Springs, CO 80922Directions
From North Carefree and Powers go towards Mark Shuffle(East). When you get to Peterson make a right (South), then make your first right at Pony Tracks (West). Make your next left on Blazing Trail Drive (South). Make your next left onto Cowhand Drive (East). We live in a cul-de-sac on the left side. Look for the wheelchair ramp in the front of the house.
Allen & Linda Burbidge's Pond - Saturday & Sunday
View PondPond Description
Bigger is not Better, but we made it bigger anyway. In 2024 we decided to replace the 20-year-old pond liner. At that time, we moved the yard side of the pond out 3.5 feet and dug that space down to a depth of about 4 feet. We also added different depth ledges to the sides for the plants. The waterfall cascades down from the upper-level filter over a quantity of rocks into the pond filled with goldfish and Koi. The 4-foot waterfall can be enjoyed by sitting on the raised area or by walking around the abundance of foliage to the upper level overlooking the pond.
- Pond Gallons: 2800
- Handicap Accessible: No
Pond Address
4314 Meadowview Court, Colorado Springs, CO 80918Directions
From the intersection of Union Boulevard and North Academy Boulevard, travel south to Flintridge Drive. Turn right (south) onto Flintridge for approximately 1/2 mile. Turn right onto Northridge Drive and then left (south) onto Meadowview Court.
Phil & Ellen Goulding's Pond - Saturday & Sunday
View PondPond Description
We built our pond in the summer of 2003. In 2012 we dug it deeper, removed the rock shelves, and put in a new filter system. The pond retained the same oval footprint but is now five feet deep with a plant shelf on the back side. The pond also has bottom drains. In 2024, we redid the filtration to include a Rolling Drum Filter and an Anoxic filter. This filter bypasses the nitrogen cycle and instead of producing Nitrate and Nitrite, it produces nitrogen gas. We improved the Bakke shower and put in a 400-gallon "Japanese filter" with filter mats. The anoxic filter consists of baskets filled with a specific kitty litter and Ironite 1-0-1. The baskets are in a new small pond with water flowing back into the big pond. We built rock walls around the pond so there are no more loose stones. The waterfall was also completely rebuilt.
Our plants consist of yellow, blue, and black gamecock iris, bloody dock, sweetflag, water lettuce, water hyacinth, reeds, horsetails, and canna lilies. We also have arrowhead and pennywort.
We have 28 Koi, including kohaku, ochiba, chagoi, yamabuki, matsuba, showa, and shiro isturii. Our fish create quite a colorful bouquet in and of themselves. Our largest fish is 33" long and weighs around 21 pounds. Our oldest Koi is 33 years old.
- Pond Gallons: 6500
- Handicap Accessible: Yes
Pond Address
21 E. San Miguel Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903Directions
Tim and Jen Jardeleza's Pond - Saturday & Sunday
View PondPond Description
This is the second DIY remodel of a preexisting pond since we moved into our home in 2017. The original pond was less than 100 gallons with 50ft of streams and waterfalls that meandered through plenty of rocks and boulders, giving a very naturalistic feel. The remodels have kept to the basic path with some enhancements taking place each time. The first remodel was performed in the summer of 2018, with the goal of adding more depth and size to give room for fish to avoid predators. The first remodel expanded the pond to 350 gallons, with a total volume in motion of about 500 gallons.
The current remodel was started in October 2024 with the goals of creating an oasis to relax while being able to keep more and larger koi than the previous pond. As this is being written, the pond is concluding construction. The pond itself measures approximately 18'x12.5'x6' a the widest points and was measured to be 7300 gallons via salt testing. The most recent iteration kept the old filtration system but added on. There is a Helix skimmer emptying into a return and waterfall filter carried over from the old system, running in parallel with a new system as a way of building redundancy into the pond's filtration. The newly added filtration system has two bottom drains and a skimmer gravity feeding into a FREE 35 RDF. A variable speed pump pulls the water and delivers it to an AlphaNANO bead filter, followed by a UV sterilizer, then split between two tangential pond returns and a 120 cubic foot bog filter.
The pond was constructed to fit into the landscape. It houses 28 koi and 3 goldfish. There are the beginnings of bog and pollinator gardens. Feel free to explore the different levels and aspects of the pond, streams, and waterfalls.
- Pond Gallons: 7300
- Handicap Accessible: No