taking stock
How a Utilitarian Stock Tank Can Transform a Backyard
The Koch family’s stock-tank pool actually began its journey at their ranchette in the Texas country. Because they have well water, the family of six would fill up the stock tank to cool off during hot summer months, then dump the water when they were finished, allowing it to naturally return to their well system. They brought this routine to their Austin, Texas home (affectionately named Harvey House) in the summer of 2020, when Covid shutdowns affected their local public pools.
“It was funny because stock-tank pools became popular and, all of a sudden, you couldn’t find the big ten-foot one, which is what we had at the ranch,” recalls homeowner Shelby Koch. “So, we actually transported that one here, and then had the deck built and just kind of went for it.”
Within about a month, their yard was summer-ready. Stationed alongside their existing patio with a long farm table and a grill, and with a Ping-Pong table and basketball court situated behind, the stock-tank pool was the final piece to turn their yard into a family destination.
“Especially during Covid, it was nice just to have a little backyard oasis and a place for the kids to play,” says Koch, adding that the waterfall feature brings a calming element to the yard, even when they’re not using the pool itself. Koch likes to sit on the edge of the pool and dip her toes into the water or lounge in the shaded chairs. It’s also been the site of birthday parties and summer kickoffs; they’ve brought a TV outside for poolside movies and football games. In the winter, Koch and her husband used it as a cold-plunge pool.
She admits they didn’t do a ton of research prior to their installation. Their yard was already flat enough to not require any digging—the stock tank simply sits atop the ground—and they figured out what they needed as they embarked upon the processes of installing a regular pool filtration system, a heater (effectively transforming their two-foot-deep pool into a hot tub), and waterfall feature.
The couple’s do-it-yourself approach has taught them a few lessons along the way. For one, the galvanized steel common to many stock tanks is not a long-term match for pool chemicals meant to combat algae and other bacteria. After about a year and a half of consistent use, Koch noticed some rust forming, and has since experimented with sand sprays to resurface the steel as well as several types of paints to coat the interior. She also had to repurchase equipment that fell victim to an unexpected Texas snowstorm, which left the family (and their pool) without power for a week, resulting in pipes frozen beyond repair.
“It’s maintenance like a pool,” says Koch. Sometimes that requires large equipment upgrades, but often, it’s as simple as skimming fallen leaves off the surface, checking the water quality weekly, and cleaning the filtration system once a month. With this setup, they only fully drain the pool about once a year, or whenever maintenance projects require it.
It’s a work in progress; Koch has her eye on a stainless-steel waterfall that seems more durable than her current plastic piece. But all in all, the pool has given the family a “no phone zone” to just be together.
“My middle-school girl, my twelve-year-old, mentioned one night when we were all out there together, ‘I love it when we’re all in here because’—I can’t remember her exact words, but—‘I feel like we just talk and connect,’” says Koch. “That was priceless. That was definitely what the intention was, just to create family memories.”
/ Written by Alissa Schulman.
Photography provided by Shelby Koch, Harvey House.
For stock-tank pool updates and more home-design ideas, follow Harvey House on Instagram: @harvey_house_austin
