Creating a pond and waterfall

blakeas

I would like to build a small waterfall with a long stream that goes down to a small pond. I have seen things like this be built on HGTV but was wondering where I could learn what I need and how to build that? Any plans out there? along with what supplies I would need?

Mike Swearingen

www.azponds.com
Tell 'em we sent ya!
Mike

Tscarborough

Check to see if there is a pond society in your area. Pondering is an addiction, and an expensive one at that. If you are not handy with concrete, shovels and masonry, it may be worth your while to pay someone to do it for you.

Here are some pictures of one I did a few years ago:

http://www.lizking.com/toppond.jpg

That is the top (small) pond, the stream exits to the right and flows down this:
http://www.lizking.com/stream.jpg
To a lower pond, shown in the back ground here:
http://72.41.69.75/watrfal2.jpg
The water is circulated from the lower pond up to this small waterfall:
http://72.41.69.75/watrfall.jpg

The entire installation was only 50'x50' and gave great water noise as well as requiring no filtration and accomodating a large amount of fish.

All constructed of ferro-cement and leak free for at least 10 years to the present.

This is what it looks like grown out from the low side:

http://72.41.69.75/yard.jpg

This is what I started with:

http://72.41.69.75/yd.jpg

lackeygk

We built a three tier waterfall two years ago which turned out very nice. But, we cannot keep the rocks from getting coated with green algae. We have tried all types of chemicals with little success. The only way I can kill it is to turn off the pump for an hour or so but in a day or two, here it is again. Does anyone know of other solutions?

lackeygk@msn.com

godin

There are a lot of books out there that you can buy or check out from a local library. Most residential projects these days use a synthetic rubber liner about 40mil thick. A woven polyester underlayment goes in first to help protect the underside of the liner, with a sand layer under that. The books will give you the info and provide you with lots of design ideas as well. Like anything, pond building has become a business and suppliers want you to buy all kinds of things which offer real or imagined advantages such as special filters, skimmers, UV clarifiers, preformed waterfalls...some of these things offer convenience (like a skimmer), but the retail prices can be quite expensive. Online sources can save money. The japanese are masters at pondbuilding, waterfalls and stone work. Books on japanese gardens can be very inspiring.

It's best to do your homework and not rush into it, at least on a large scale.