Waterfalls and streams capture the imagination of all who witness their beauty. Many people go on long exhausting treks into the wilderness just to see a section of a river, a waterfall, or a stream. They’re beautiful and inspiring!
A man-made waterfall is simply water pumped from one body of water to an area above that body of water. If you do it right, it’ll look good, sound good, and not lose any water in between. You need to think about the effect you’d like to achieve. Do you want a peaceful trickle or thundering rapids? Are you trying to drown out traffic noise from a nearby road or are you looking to mimic the sounds of nature? These decisions will help determine the type of rock that you choose and the size pump that you need for your pond.
Creating An Interesting Stream
As you design, layout, and create the stream portion of your water garden, there are a few tips to keep in mind as you create the most naturalistic stream possible.
- Water wants to run downhill as quickly as possible, and along the way it hits objects that are harder than the surrounding soil (large rocks and logs), and encounters sharp elevation changes. The goal is to copy this look as much as possible.
- Your stream should twist and turn as it makes its way toward the pond. The turns will increase the sounds, and will also increase the number of viewing areas. The more places it can be seen, the more it’ll be enjoyed.
- A large rock should be placed at each turn. At elevation changes, place additional larger stones, or a series of stones, to replicate the erosion process.
- Your stream should get narrow in areas, and then widen out and slow down in others. Make sure you use a good mix of stone and gravel to create a natural look. Fill the streambed with aquatic plants, and you’ve just created an awesome supplement to your filtration system.
- Always slope the streambed toward your pond.
- Incorporate areas within your stream where the water can pool.
- If your stream narrows in one place, open it back up downstream.
- Leave several inches of soil and liner above the proposed water level in the stream.
- Remember that high water flow rates need a wider stream and/or higher edges.
Building a Beautiful Waterfall
There are many ways to build a waterfall for your pond. Often the result is a waterfall that leaks or looks like a chimney stack spewing water. The easiest way to build waterfall is to use a biological filter. Easy to hide, they give you a good base for building a leak-free, beautiful waterfall with the benefit of additional filtration. Biological filters are extremely flexible, and a variety of different waterfall styles can be created even when there isn’t a lot of space.
You may be anxious to get out and start building a dreamscape with lots of flowing water and a serene pond filled with lilies and extraordinary koi. Before you get your marking paint and shovel out, there’s one more greatly misunderstood concept of pond and stream construction to talk about here.
It seems that many people are so enthralled with the sound of water, that all they want is a huge waterfall and stream that fills their property with the incredible sounds of falling water. The only problem is, if the pond gets neglected, and/or forgotten about, it doesn’t work very well. So, let your creativity take over and use the tips to create an aquatic paradise in your own backyard, keeping everything in proportion. Mother Nature will appreciate it, and so will you … in the long run.
