How to Build a Waterfall
The origin story of our waterfall begins with an oak tree. Years ago, and prior to us owning the home, a large oak tree stood vigil over the house and was a key feature of our neighborhood, visible from anywhere on the street. Unfortunately, the tree became infested and had to be cut down.
When we moved in, all that remained of the majestic oak tree was a stump overrun with termites. Patchy grass and dirt surrounded the stump on all sides and the area between the patio and back fence felt like a no man’s land. In fact, a neighbor of ours once shared that while they loved this house at the end of the cul-de-sac and contemplated purchasing the home when it went on the market, the backyard, or lack thereof, is what turned them away.
We felt a call to reignite the magic of the space and give new life to where the oak tree once stood.
Constructing the Waterfall
We removed the stump by burning it away and my partner was in heaven because any excuse for a fire, #amiright? The hole where the stump had been became the area for the upper pond, and then we dug the creek path and waterfall basin.
To mark the path for the creeks, we sprinkled flour on the ground. Because we had a Dogwood tree right in the middle of the creek path and I was adamant that no Dogwood be harmed in the making of the waterfall, we simply split the path in two. That decision elevated the design and created a fairy tale-like island in the middle of our waterfall.
We used the dirt from the creek trenches to create the mound for the primary waterfall that empties into the upper pond. The upper pond is not actually a pond, but it was built to look like a pond by creating exit holes that would drain, but not too fast, allowing the water to collect and giving the appearance of a pond.
Once the digging was complete, the entire surface area was covered in a standard pond tarp that you can find online or at any local pond shop.
Filling the Basin
For the basin, we purchased a cattle trough instead of a pond basin because it was much cheaper (sorry, pond shop). Inside of the cattle trough are two large Rubbermaid trash cans with holes drilled into them. The trash cans are used to house the waterfall pump and create a void to maximize our ability to hold water.
The trough was then filled with various porous material; again, keeping with the theme of creating a void. Think pool noodles, PVC pipe with drain caps, a couple of gas cans, whatever we had on hand! Why does this matter? Well, if you were to just fill the trough with rocks you couldn’t hold that much water.
Landscaping
The rocks, oh, the rocks! Surprisingly, while the first part of the waterfall construction process was relatively quick, finding the right rocks took months…dare I say, a year. The artistry is in the placement of the rocks, particularly where the weir is located such that it looks natural.
We purchased a variety of plants from our local nursery to soften the area and make it look more natural. We chose plants that themselves convey a look of softness.
Functionality
Alongside the waterfall is a buried tube that connects the pump to the weir so that the water is recycled. The pump is electric, so we have a black extension cord that runs from the pump up to the house and is buried in the mulch.
What Went Well: The plants played a more important role than we initially expected and for the most part, we’re really pleased with the plants we selected to soften and frame the waterfall.
What Went Not So Well: There was a leak behind the weir that took forever to discover. We knew there was a leak because the water level kept getting so low, even though the waterfall is designed such that it should remain the same. We hypothesized a few places (lots of places) the leak could be and fixed those areas (all of them), but within a week we’d notice the water level had dropped again. It was the bane of our existence! Then one day while sitting by the fire pit, we noticed an ever so slight dip to the left where the mound was and…bingo! There was our leak, hidden behind the weir.
What would we do differently: We would have and will find some more rocks to place sporadically a few feet from the waterfall to enhance the illusion of a naturally occurring structure. We would also not use the Mondo grass we chose because it didn’t fill in the way we expected it to in the time frame we wanted.
In closing, we started this project on a whim and we cannot say enough how much it has inspired us and transformed our space into a place for our children to make memories in the backyard.
Shout out to my partner, Dustin Bradley, who did 99.7% of this project by himself and by hand.
