Location Many “pond ponderers” think they want the pond in a far corner of the yard, but that defeats the purpose. It needs to be up near the house where you can enjoy the benefits. In addition, try to locate where it can be enjoyed from the inside of the house. You can open your windows on a summer evening and enjoy the sounds of the waterfall, and even the wildlife that is attracted to it. Full sun is best, but I constructed mine (see photo at right) in light shade, and it is doing just fine. Having lights in your pond will greatly enhance your enjoyment in the evening when it gets dark.

Aesthetics We want all of the ponds and waterfalls that we make to look as natural as possible, as if they are spring fed. This is accomplished with boulders, burms, and washed gravel in the bottom of the pond, along with water plants Fish are also an important factor Ito consider, When you choose your Koi or goldfish make sure they look good from the top. Too many people see them in the store from the side but when they get them, they are darker on the top and are camouflaged by the gravel. Don’t use native fish, because you won’t be able to see them.


Key elements in a pond waterfall system

Mechanical and biological filtration. The mechanical filter take care of debris while the biological filter (which which is “good” bacteria that you add to the pond periodically) out competes the green algae for nutrients. Before

Pump and plumbing. The pump sits in a skimmer basket outside the actual pond,where the water has to pas through a filtering system before getting to it. The pump then circulates the water through a flexible PVC pipe to the opposite end of the pond, where it passes through another series of filters and into the biofalls (see photo above left) before creating the waterfall.

Liner and underlayment. The liner, 45 mm thick, prevents water loss while the underlayment protects the liner and also allows gases to escape from under the liner.


After

Rocks and gravel These elements are crucial to your system. They protect your liner from ultraviolet radiation, and provide a home for the bacteria to colonize. See photo above right.

Plants and fish. Plants remove nutrients from the water that the algae would ordinarily feed on, and provide shelter for fish.The fish control the mosquitoes and other insects and in turn fertilize the plants.

Eliminating any of these factors will result in an out-of-balance ecosystem, which will in turn will result in more maintenance and decrease the enjoyment of your pond!

Written and posted by Doug Grove, Grove Landscaping, Northfield, MN