Tips For Building Garden Ponds And Waterfalls

Tips for building
Garden Ponds and Waterfalls
866.888.POND > www.SierraPacificDesign.com
Welcome to Sierra Pacific Design.
We are the #1 company in Los Angeles for waterfall design and garden pond installation
using ECO-FRIENDLY products and materials for a safe and friendly environment.
Sierra Pacific Design is a local family-owned and run pond and waterfall design and
installation company. We are a fully licensed and insured general contractor with a
passion for building custom garden ponds and waterfalls for residential and
commercial landscapes in Southern California.
Our passion for pond and waterfall design derives from a belief that interacting with
nature on a daily basis promotes peace and happiness in one’s life. We have a unique
artistic vision for the ways in which water can transform a garden landscape.
Whether it is a serene fish pond tucked into a shady corner of a yard or a waterfall
cascading down granite boulders into a backyard stream, we take pride in each and
every pond installation.
Transform your home into a garden paradise. We can create a water feature to fit
any size yard.
Contact us for a no-obligation design consultation on
your landscaping project.
866.888.POND > www.SierraPacificDesign.com
tips
1 Location
When you are planning to install a pond choose a place
with a good mixture of sun and shade. You can also
consider creating a hill or utilizing a natural hill in order to
put in a waterfall. Another thing to consider is positioning
your pond and waterfall closer to your home so that you
can enjoy the sights and sounds while entertaining friends
on a backyard deck.
tips
Pond Design and Building Tips
By some estimates, 90% of original ponds are replaced later
with larger ones. As a general rule, a 180 square foot or
11’ x 16’ pond is a good “standard” size water garden. You can
trace your prospective pond out on the ground with a garden
hose to help you visualize what the finished size will be.
tips
Ponds and water garden features are today’s hottest trend in landscaping across America.
Installing a pond at your residence or business immediately adds a unique water
feature that increases the value of your property as well as bringing the sights and sounds
of tranquility and peace to your garden landscape.
2 Size
3 Rocks & Gravel
Adding rocks and gravel during your pond installation solves
many pond problems and reduces pond maintenance.
Gravel provides a good surface area for bacteria to grow.
When fish waste or other organic matter settles to the bottom
of the pond it is broken down by the bacteria living there.
tips
4 Pond Depth
It is a myth that a pond must be at least 3 feet deep. There
are thousands of 2 feet deep Koi ponds all around the
country. Digging means more work, more water to fill the
pond and more additives to treat algae.
tips
5 Koi Fish, Goldfish & Water Plants
Koi fish, goldfish and water plants can co-exist in a pond
and naturally complement each other. Koi fish and goldfish
produce waste which, in turn, is used as fertilizer by the
plants in order to grow and produce more natural fish food.
When placing plants and rocks, don’t forget to set up hiding
places for your fish so they can hide from natural predators
such as raccoons and blue herons. Lily pads and rock crevices
or small caves are perfect hiding places.
tips
6 Box Skimmers
No one wants to see green water in their backyard pond so
good pond filtration is the best way to maintain consistently
clear water. Adding a box skimmer discretely into the side
of your pond will drastically reduce maintenance as it will
pull the top layer of water into a collection area and trap
surface debris before it sinks to the bottom of the pond.
Box skimmers come with either vertical or horizontal filter
mats and horizontal mats are typically the most effective,
while providing the least amount of maintenance. It is also
best practice to select a pump that is at least one size up
from your best estimate to be sure that you have adequate
circulation and filtration.
tips
1 Waterfall Design
It is important that your waterfall fits in with the surrounding
garden landscape. If you your backyard is mostly flat then
a waterfall popping up out of nowhere will not look natural.
You can make your waterfall look more natural by building
a berm such as a raised bank, small hill, or ledge around
the waterfall.
Often times people make the mistake of building a large
waterfall for a small pond which can look unnatural.
Small ponds should have small waterfalls which will help
keep everything in proportion. If you want a larger waterfall
consider building a wider waterfall rather than a taller
one since it will look more natural and fit in better with
a smaller pond.
tips
Waterfall Design and Building Tips
Kick your feet up, close your eyes and relax as you listen to the tranquil and soothing sounds
of water flowing from your very own garden waterfall. Waterfalls are today’s hottest trend
in landscaping and a waterfall quickly becomes the focal point of any garden, dramatically
increasing the beauty, serenity, peacefulness and value of your garden landscape.
2 Waterfall Placement
Think about placing the skimmer of your waterfall near an
electrical outlet. You will want the lower basin skimmer,
which sends water back up to the top of the waterfall, to be
located no further than 10 feet from an electrical outlet
so that you do not have an unsightly electrical cord running
across your beautiful garden landscape.
tips
3 Choosing a Pump
Remember that a pump has to work harder to pump water
uphill so your GPH (gallons per hour) will be different
depending on the elevation gain. Measure this carefully
before you buy a waterfall pump. A good waterfall pump
should have an easy to read chart which shows the pump’s
effectiveness over different heights.
tips
4 Controlling Water Loss
A pond liner is critical to controlling water loss. Measure out
and place a waterfall liner that stretches the entire distance
of the waterfall and lower basin. When placing the liner be
sure to leave some slack at the bottom so as to avoid rips or
liner piercings as the liner stretches when water is added.
tips
5 Create a Naturalistic Start
Many garden waterfalls are constructed with biological filter
boxes at the top. These filter boxes should be concealed by
rocks and plants while still leaving plenty of room for access
and waterfall maintenance. One idea is to have the start
of your waterfall resemble a still pool as if the water is rising
from an underground spring.
tips
6 Create a Naturalistic Flow
Consider burying large spill rocks that make up your
waterfall. The idea is to make the rocks look as though they
are emerging from the earth forming a natural waterfall,
not just plopped on top of the earth. Also remember that
the steeper the slope the faster the water will run and the
louder the waterfall will sound.
tips
7 Rockwork
Waterfalls generally contain three different sized rocks;
boulders, medium sized rocks and pebbles. If possible,
visit a rock yard or gravel and stone yard to see the rocks in
person so you can get a better idea of what kind of rocks
will fit into your garden landscape.
When placing rocks, start from the bottom up, placing large
boulders first. Placing boulders around and behind the
actual beginning of the waterfall is a great way to give your
waterfall dimension and a more natural appearance.
When designing a waterfall periodically step away and look
at the waterfall from a distance and from different angles
to see how the placement of rocks work with the
surrounding landscape.
tips
7 Spillway Rocks
Try to use large mostly flat rocks for the spillway to help
keep it more stable and always measure the slope of your
spillway with a level. This is important because you want
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tips
9 Focus on Sounds
The best part of having a garden waterfall is the joy of
listening to the tranquil sound of flowing water. Pay attention
to the sounds and volume of water as it hits rocks and
splashes into pools. A cascade of water pouring off a rocky
ledge into rocks below resonates differently than a light
stream trickling around large rocks and flowing into a deep
pool. Think about installing a pump that allows for flow
control in order to adjust the water flow, volume and sound.
tips
Pondless waterfalls are ideal for
businesses and homeowners who
want the sights and sounds of a
waterfall but do not want the
maintenance associated with a pond.
10 Consider a Pondless Waterfall
Pondless waterfalls are ideal for those who want the sights
and sounds of a waterfall but do not want the maintenance
associated with a pond. A pondless waterfall can give
your garden an impressive waterfall using less space. Plus
it can be convenient to be able to turn a pondless waterfall
off for extended periods which can save you electricity
and water loss.
For over a decade, Sierra Pacific Design has been
bringing the dream of a tranquil, water oasis to both the
gardens of local homeowners and the concrete landscapes
of commercial developments. Our passion derives from a
belief that interacting with nature on a daily basis promotes
peace and happiness in one’s life. Whether it is a serene
koi pond tucked into a shady corner of a front porch, or
a waterfall cascading down granite boulders into a backyard
stream, we take pride in each and every installation.
Contact us for a complimentary
consultation today!
A beautiful backyard waterfall and pond is less expensive
than you think. Contact us for a no-obligation design
consultation and receive $200.00 worth of free plants with
any pond or waterfall installation.
866.888.POND
www.SierraPacificDesign.com