Ponds and Water Gardens - pond removal

Hi-We are about to move into a new house that has a large koi pond with waterfall. We need to remove it because we have young children. After the liner is removed, what is the best way to replace the grass/dirt so that it does not sink? Any idea how much it would cost to have this removed? Pond is approx 18x12 feet and 3.5 feet deep. Thanks

After removing the old pond items (liner, pump, filter, rocks...) just fill the hole with dirt. Because the dirt is loose it will settle and compact over time. To avoid the settling you can put 6" of dirt into the hole and walk all over it to compact it before adding the next 6" of dirt. This will provide a moderate amount of compaction to minimize settling but will not compact it so hard that grass or trees will find it difficult to grow.

How much removing & filling in your pond will cost will vary greatly depending on:
where you live
is fill dirt available on your site or will it have to be trucked in
is the area accessible to equipment
will you hire a proper contractor or just a guy off the street