Alder Tree

I have been gifted an Alder Tree for Christmas. It is bare root and dormant but will need planting soon.
I know they need to be planted near water. Building a garden pond has been on my to do list for a long time, when I began to dig it I then had to excavate rubbish and then stopped when it got cold (I know this is a rubbish excuse). I am happy to go back to digging and could use this beautiful tree as motivation.
My question is, will it suit being near a garden pond? I was imagining using a pond liner and I understand that Alders like to have very long deep roots under water. Is there a minimum size and depth of pond I would need? Is there a specific way the pond or surroundings would need to be made to help this tree? Have I bitten off more than I can chew with this tree in a back garden (it is a fairly large garden).
Thank you.

 

Its a big tree and usually when they say it likes to be near water it's because it does well with its roots in water or boggy ground.
Planting it next to a garden pond with a liner is not really what is meant by planting near water.

My personal thoughts are, its not really a garden tree.
But lets see what others say.

 

Is there a more Alder tree friendly way to make a pond?

 

Not really unless your thinking of building a lake.

Dont get me wrong, Alders like moist soil and grow well without a pond, its just that a pond with a liner is not actually the same as planting an Alder near water.

 

Yes I know the liner doesn't allow this tree to get its roots in the water, that is why I had asked if there were specific ways to build the pond.
A small lake is not impossible... just checked the definition of a lake at minimum 2 hectares (5 acres) - actually that is very impossible.
I shall maybe contact my country park and ask if they would like a donation.
Thank you for your help @pete

 

I agree with Pete.
Alders are not the best tree for any small garden.
They do not have a lot to recommend them.
It would be hopeless near any pond as the leaves would fall into the water and rot in the autumn.
They are constantly dropping the lower branches and twigs.

We used to have a small wood of sapling self seeded Alder on boggy wet ground..as they grew so the ground dried up. I would prefer any other tree to plant.

 

Hi @Amy Willshire the old way of building ponds (large ones) was with puddled clay. But they need skill and scale. And an alder sucking out the moisture would cause the clay to crack and thus ruin such a pond. I think Christopher Lloyd mentioned that his horse pond (originally for providing water for farm horses) was constructed that way. Or was it Beth Chatto?