They’ve got all of the great parts of the drinking water garden, but none of the green pond water or ill fish problems of a pond. For those individuals who would like moving water sounds in their backyard, a pondless waterfall might be a great way to have it. They’re simple to build if you would like to do it yourself.

There are numerous benefits to a pondless water feature. One function is the safety feature. This can be frequently a worry for families with little children. No area of the pond has more than a few inches of water compared with a normal landscape pond which is typically 2 feet deep, particularly if fish are to be residing in it. You are able to easily switch pondless waterfalls on or off. Should you are venturing out or absent, or simply are not going to be in the garden, merely turn it off. It can be applied a timer.

Because this type of water function can not cater to any fish or numerous aquatic plants, it needs way less maintenance than a standard pond too. Merely position a bag of barley straw at the first waterfall to help reduce algae. (Dry bacteria can be added in periodically to maintain water quality).

Based upon on the style and also the magnitude of this undertaking, installment of a pondless water feature could be completed in well under 1 day or span out over a week or two. The majority of home pondless waterscape designs are put in with little to no impairment to already present mature landscapes in only one or two days.

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We decided to make our celebration a weekend event. We desired creating community together with our families and our closest friends. To be true to ourselves and our values, it is going to be organic and environmentally focused. Out of love and consideration to others we want to consider our interests and values as well.
One of our main wedding goals is to show the best of who we are. “From the beginning, we have envisioned our wedding experience as a celebration that brings together our family and close friends in a relaxed environment that reflects our values while at the same time respects our cultural traditions. We see the weekend as a model for the lives that we would like to live.”

We wanted a wedding that was unique, fun and most of all small and intimate. We wanted to celebrate our big day with our families.http://www.edgeworthinn.com
The inn is an 1896 National Register of Historic Places Property.The Edgeworth Inn is an antique filled Queen Ann style home nestled in Monteagle’s Chautauqua Assembly which was founded in 1883 and has been continuously operating since its inception with 300 acres to explore atop the Cumberland Plateau.
Our ceremony is Saturday, October 24,2009 at 11:00 in the morning. It will be held in the beautiful garden which will be filled with fall foliage and flowers.
The Moses Rock Spring, housed in an old stone structure in an area called Moses Rock Park, was the original source of water for the visitors and animals of the Assembly in the 1800s. In 2007, to commemorate the 125th year of the existence of the Assembly grounds, longtime resident Aileen O’Brien devised the idea of a water feature and gardens on a previously neglected hillside, which would be enjoyed by children at play and enhance the greenspace near the pool and central buildings. A young stonemason from Lookout Mountain, D.J. Giles, was selected to create the water feature, and Aileen O’Brien developed the landscaping. An Assembly member, Mrs. Ruth Grace Jervis, provided the funding as a memorial for her recently deceased husband, Wayne Talmage Jervis, Jr., who was a skilled landscaper and cultivated beauty wherever he lived. A year was spent developing the area now known as Moses Rock Park and Waterfall. The water pours out from under a rock and builds up steam as it rolls down the landscape, splashing into a “pondless” basin with water-loving natives. A gazebo, stone tables and benches provide shady seats to enjoy the sounds of falling water. According to O’Brien, the landscaping is ongoing and continues each spring. Among the plants that are included along the water feature are Ferns, Roses, Junipers, Hostas, Azaleas (both native and cultivated), Rhododendron, Iris, Columbine, Daylilies, Carolina Jasmine, Creeping Phlox, Creeping Jennie, Narcissus, Butterfly Bush, French Pussy Willows, Red Crape Myrtle, Forsythia, Dogwoods, River Birch, and Mountain Laurel, and a number of water plants, herbs, and annuals.

The Rev. William S Wade, former headmaster of our school will be conducting the ceremony.

I can only speak of my experience with forums related to the water garden or water feature industry. I have decided to join a waterfall and pond related forum and start sharing my somewhat biased views and experience with pond liners.

As of late, I have discovered that sharing my bias towards pond liners with a forum full of pond liner installers is something like trying to pass out Bibles at a porn convention!

Some startling statistics that could explain why:

1. More than 37% of all waterfalls have serious structural damage within 3 years of it being built.

2. 57% of homeowners say they’re rather unsatisfied with the way their waterfall came out – after the project was completed.

3. Nearly 1 in 3 waterfalls and ponds are leaking water within 9 months of completion.

4. 27% of all outdoor waterfalls and ponds have pumps that are either too strong or too weak – causing unnecessary expenditures down the road.

5. 63% of ‘do It yourselfers’ said they wish they had the proper information from the ‘get go’ or they wished they would have hired someone!

These statistics are from the pond liner industry itself (Bob Wilder, 48-Hour Waterfall). I can confirm and attest to these figures myself. I have built over 1,900 concrete and rebar waterfalls and ponds over the past 26 years. I have ripped out and replaced dozens of defective liner ponds and replaced them with concrete ones with lifetime warranties.

Pond liner guys will not attach more than a one-year warranty.

They make no guarantee against rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers, tree roots and sharp objects. They know the truth, they just don’t share it.

Some guy on the forum was questioning the need to fill up the catch basin of a pondless waterfall with loose rock and gravel, thus covering up the sump pump. I thought this was a good question, because I wondered the same thing myself.

Water from a pondless waterfall is captured in a basin at its base. With a liner pond, they teach that after placing the pump in the bottom, you then fill it up with loose gravel. I’m thinking that would create three problems:

If you have to service or clean the garbage off the intake of the sump pump, you would first need to pull out all the stinky, slimy, poopy-laden rock.

The basin would not hold much water if the rock takes up most of the space. When you turn on the waterfall, most of the water is sucked from the catch basin before the water can cascade back to the basin.

There would be no room to install an auto-fill system, which means you would need to fill the basin area often with a garden hose to prevent the pump from running dry.

So I decided to be a nice guy and post my article, Pondless Waterfalls: Concrete vs. Liners, on the forum. This was a really bad idea – much like trying to untangle a nest full of rattle snakes.

Before I could post answers to several questions that were posed by a sincerely curious forum member, I was locked out of the website. By guess who? The administrator of the site, who was also the owner of the site, the webmaster, and the very guy who made the original inquiry about pondless waterfall construction!

According to him, several forum members complained to him that I was a spammer trying to sell my waterfall system. What? I don’t sell concrete and rebar. Nor do I sell high-efficiency centrifugal pumps, or Thoroseal, or galvanized grating to place over the basins, or anti-vortex drains, or rock! So what did he mean by saying I was trying to sell my system?

Well I soon figured it out, and it turns out that they probably meant I was trying to malign their system, not sell mine. I did a little research, and guess what? Mr. Administrator and Mr. Domain Owner was also a pond liner installer. End of mystery!

Read my article Pondless Waterfall: Concrete vs. Liner and you will get, as Paul Harvey says, “the rest of the story.”

Happy koi, peace and joy.

American Society of Landscape Architects

Landscape Architects Identify Trends for 2007

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –”Sustainable design is bigger than ever and homeowners and commercial building owners alike are looking to utilize outdoor spaces even more. The New Year will bring a number of exciting and creative design solutions from landscape architects.

Homeowners are requesting that landscape architects design complete outdoor rooms, such as kitchens and bars, for entertaining. Water features such as koi ponds, waterfalls, and fountains continue to be popular (with no signs of slowing), according to a new survey of leading members of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).”

The American Nurseryman Association reports that “water features are the fastest growing trend in landscaping since 1990 (2007 should break all records.)”

Regionally, in-ground pools will add about 5 percent to the value of a home in the Northeast, about 6 percent in the Midwest, and 7.5 percent in the Southeast and West. In the Southwest, a swimming pool will add nearly 11 percent to the home’s value.

If you add a $35,000 pool to a $300,000 house, you will just barely recover your initial expense. However, you still have the high maintenance cost and you have just limited the future buyers of your home to people who want a pool. Therefore, you have actually reduced the equity in your home. On the other hand, everyone loves a beautiful water feature, young and old! Therefore, increased equity!

Swimming pools require constant attention and maintenance. Unlike ponds, pool owners cannot rely on the nitrogen cycle to lend a hand at keeping the water healthy. This can only be accomplished by due diligence and a myriad of chemicals. Unlike a pond, the enjoyment of a pool comes from its use; and for most regions of the country, the climate dictates a very short period of time for pool use. Unless you heat your pool, then your dumping more money in your pool.

A pond requires minimal attention compared to swimming pool. Once a properly constructed pond is established with the right proportion of fish, plants and biological elements, a pond will take care of itself, the rest is enjoyment, year round. You do not need to use a pond as you do a pool, it only need to exist for you to enjoy.

2.) What do I do about the safety of my small children or grandchildren? How big should it be? Is this something I can do on my own or do I need professional help building a pond?

Unlike a swimming pool, ponds can be child proofed, with very little expense. A swimming pool, however, requires special self-closing gates with special latches. Another required code requirement is 95-decibel alarms on all exit doors leading to the back yard.

And for your added peace of mind, you can install an unsightly, removable, lightweight fence that cost hundreds of dollars. Then you can continually agonize over whether you, or someone else, forgot to close the fence gate.

A pond, however, can be filled with large boulders, which can be removed later when the children are grown. Or you can construct a pondless waterfall to begin with. Now you still can enjoy the sight and sound of cascading water without the concerns for safety.

An added advantage of a pondless waterfall is that a pondless waterfall costs less to construct and maintain. A pondless waterfall can be added to your front yard, meet all building code requirements, increase curb appeal, and thereby increase the equity and the resale value of your home.

The “size of the water feature” is a relative term. There are many factors that need to be considered. Far more than can be be discussed in the space I have allotted for this article. I will cover it in my next article. A few questions to ask yourself: How big is your yard? Where do you spend the majority of your time?

What is your budget? How is the size, shape and topography of your yard related to certain limitations regarding the building codes? Will the existing water table affect your water feature? Does your property currently have adequate drainage? Do you have underground utilities? If so, where are they located? What are the local building codes regarding pond depth? Do you need a building permit, or a licensed contractor? …just to name a few of the topics covered.

Whether you need a professional contractor is another article. What type of access do you have to your property? Do you want large boulders? If so, is there proper clearance for a crane or Bobcat? How do you find a qualified contractor? How do you go about qualifying them? Are they properly licensed? Insured? Bonded? Workmen’s compensation? Liability insurance? Hospitalization? References? Background checks and much, much more. Do your homework and proper research prior to commencement, it could save you thousands of dollars.

3.) What is the single most important first step in building a water feature? What about equipment? Should I get koi fish and a turtle? Where should I place my pond and waterfall? All these questions can be addressed with two words: Plan & Design!

First, decide where you spend most of your leisure activity. …family room, living room, patio etc. Your waterfall and pond should be in close proximity to that location. Not in the far corner of your property. Sound and visualization are two of the major benefits of a waterfall and pond. These decisions are part of the planning process. Once you decide on these issues, the design process begins.

The best way to approach this phase is to consider a digital design. There are companies that can produce an incredible digitally designed, virtual photo of your backyard, by simply providing them with a digital photo of the area you want the water feature located. You may opt to digitally design your own. There are digital design programs that are simple to master on your own for less than a hundred dollars. Just search the web by typing in digitally designed ponds or waterfalls.

The type of equipment you should use is dependent upon the size of your pond. Your budget is another factor. If you have a small budget, you’re looking at designing a small pond. In addition, look at the available options for construction materials.

You can buy a rubber liner kit and install it yourself, or have a rubber-liner-kit-installer-guy install it for you. Bottom line, either way, is there is no guarantee against bucked-toothed critters such as mice, rats, ground squirrels, gophers and ground hogs, from burrowing underneath your expensive rubber liner and chewing a hole in it. Concrete (3500psi) and rebar is the best construction method, and if done correctly, will last for generations. Concrete ponds cost only 10 to 20% more to build than liner ponds.

Your pond will require less maintenance if you allow the nitrogen cycle to do all the work. This means you need to do your part by providing the elements needed for the nitrogen cycle to operate. The fish provide the waste which produces nitrates and ammonia. Certain essential bacteria break down the nitrates and ammonia into safe byproducts used by the plants and other organisms.

Once this process is started, with the aid of a biological filter and possibly an ultraviolet light, future maintenance is minimal and routine. An above ground, high efficiency pump produces more water flow at half the energy and less initial cost than a sump pump used with liner ponds. The savings in electrical costs alone could easily pay for the additional cost of professional concrete construction in less three years.

4.) Where do I find the equipment and construction material I need to complete my project? How do I know what size filter, pump or ultraviolet light I need? If I want to have a concrete pond and waterfall shell, Where do I begin?

The internet is the best place to start looking for equipment. Local pond stores are usually higher priced, because of overhead expense. Most of the internet dealers are knowledgeable on sizing pumps, filters and ultraviolet lights to any size pond or waterfall. However, keep in mind, most on line dealers are trying to push pond liners, sump pumps and pond liner-related filters and accessories.

Look for energy efficient pumps first, and those dealers will carry concrete pond related products such as bottom drains, pool type skimmers and pressured, back-flushable biological bead filters. Also, Liner dealers sell the cheap mechanical autofill devices, because of a high profit margin.

Make sure you invest in a reliable electronic autofill system that is less likely to malfunction such as the levelors and aquafill systems. A stuck float could result in the chlorine poisoning death of all your fish and possibly thousands of dollars in flood damage.

If you act as your own project manager, you can get competitive bids from local concrete contractor for pouring your pond and waterfall shell. Also find a stone mason who will build your waterfall using mortar. With liner ponds and waterfalls, the rocks sit on the liner and can easily move when stepped on by adults or children resulting in serious accidents.

Trying to save hundreds up front, could possibly cost you thousands down the road. You get what you pay for.

Penny wise and [pond] foolish? Happy koi, peace & joy.

We decided to make our celebration a weekend event. We desired creating community together with our families and our closest friends. To be true to ourselves and our values, it is going to be organic and environmentally focused. Out of love and consideration to others we want to consider our interests and values as well.
One of our main wedding goals is to show the best of who we are. “From the beginning, we have envisioned our wedding experience as a celebration that brings together our family and close friends in a relaxed environment that reflects our values while at the same time respects our cultural traditions. We see the weekend as a model for the lives that we would like to live.”

We wanted a wedding that was unique, fun and most of all small and intimate. We wanted to celebrate our big day with our families.http://www.edgeworthinn.com
The inn is an 1896 National Register of Historic Places Property.The Edgeworth Inn is an antique filled Queen Ann style home nestled in Monteagle’s Chautauqua Assembly which was founded in 1883 and has been continuously operating since its inception with 300 acres to explore atop the Cumberland Plateau.
Our ceremony is Saturday, October 24,2009 at 11:00 in the morning. It will be held in the beautiful garden which will be filled with fall foliage and flowers.
The Moses Rock Spring, housed in an old stone structure in an area called Moses Rock Park, was the original source of water for the visitors and animals of the Assembly in the 1800s. In 2007, to commemorate the 125th year of the existence of the Assembly grounds, longtime resident Aileen O’Brien devised the idea of a water feature and gardens on a previously neglected hillside, which would be enjoyed by children at play and enhance the greenspace near the pool and central buildings. A young stonemason from Lookout Mountain, D.J. Giles, was selected to create the water feature, and Aileen O’Brien developed the landscaping. An Assembly member, Mrs. Ruth Grace Jervis, provided the funding as a memorial for her recently deceased husband, Wayne Talmage Jervis, Jr., who was a skilled landscaper and cultivated beauty wherever he lived. A year was spent developing the area now known as Moses Rock Park and Waterfall. The water pours out from under a rock and builds up steam as it rolls down the landscape, splashing into a “pondless” basin with water-loving natives. A gazebo, stone tables and benches provide shady seats to enjoy the sounds of falling water. According to O’Brien, the landscaping is ongoing and continues each spring. Among the plants that are included along the water feature are Ferns, Roses, Junipers, Hostas, Azaleas (both native and cultivated), Rhododendron, Iris, Columbine, Daylilies, Carolina Jasmine, Creeping Phlox, Creeping Jennie, Narcissus, Butterfly Bush, French Pussy Willows, Red Crape Myrtle, Forsythia, Dogwoods, River Birch, and Mountain Laurel, and a number of water plants, herbs, and annuals.

The Rev. William S Wade, former headmaster of our school will be conducting the ceremony.
3 hours ago – 4 days

The pond liner track record speaks for itself:

More than 37% of all waterfalls have serious structural damage within 3 years of construction.

57% of homeowners say they are rather unsatisfied with the way their waterfall came out after the project was completed.

One in three waterfalls and ponds are leaking water within nine months of completion.

63% of “do-it-yourselfers” say they wished they had the proper information from the “get go” or that they had hired someone.

These statistics are from the pond liner industry itself (Bob Wilder, 48-Hour Waterfall). I can confirm and attest to these figures myself. I have built over 1,900 concrete and rebar waterfalls and ponds over the past 26 years. I have ripped out and replaced dozens of defective liner ponds and replaced them with concrete ones with lifetime warranties.

Pond liner guys will not attach more than a one-year warranty. They make no guarantee against rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers, tree roots and sharp objects.

Let’s compare apples to lemons … First, let’s talk about apples (concrete waterfalls). We will construct a pondless waterfall that is 20 inches wide at the top by 20 feet long, becoming 24 inches wide at the bottom, to create a spillway 3 feet tall. At the bottom is a catch basin 4 ft. x 6 ft. x 3 ft. deep. The costs of excavation are as follows:

To dig a waterfall and basin takes two men 4 hours @ $20 per hour = $160.

The flexible PVC pipe is 35 ft. @ $1.25 per ft. = $44.

Concrete (3500 psi with stealth fiber)): 2 ½ yards = $250.

20 pieces of 20 ft. x 3/8 inch rebar = $100.

One 1/3 HP high efficiency pump, 2800 GPH, 356 watts = $429.

One anti-vortex drain = $10.

Four 2 x 4 ft. heavy plastic corrugated or galvanized plans to cover the collection basin = $35.

Setting the rebar: 3 man-hrs. = $225.

Pumping and finishing 2 ½ yards of concrete: 4 man-hrs. @ $75/hr. = $300.

Applying thoro-seal, 1 sack + 1 hour = $43.

Rock work + 8 sacks mortar mix: labor – 8 man-hrs. @ $75/hr. = $600.

Mortar: $40.

TOTAL EXCAVATION COST FOR A CONCRETE POND = $2,236.

With this type of construction, no filter is needed. The water in the basin is not exposed to sunlight, so there are no algae. Plus the top layer of rock and the planks are easily removed for cleaning out debris about once a year. If a plastic screen is placed over the planks before the rock layer, cleaning is reduced by 90%.

Now let’s talk about the lemons (the liner folks). The pondless waterfall liner kit advertised by all the disciples of the “liner messiah” on their websites is $1,940 + tax & shipping, or $2,176.

And now for the math: One concrete/rebar construction pondless waterfall completed with high-efficiency pump = $2,236. One pondless liner kit to build a pondless waterfall of the exact same dimensions = $2,176. If I did the math correctly, the completed concrete pondless waterfall costs $60 more than the pondless waterfall liner kit; however, it is still in the box!

Concrete and rebar pondless waterfall has a lifetime warranty. Liner pondless waterfall: 1 yr. warranty on labor, lifetime warranty against factory defect. But there is no warranty whatsoever against holes caused by rats, mice, ground squirrels, gophers, tree roots, sharp objects, etc. Sorry Charlie!

Concrete and rebar pondless waterfalls use a high-efficiency above-ground pump that is easy to service (it has a 3 yr. warranty). The 1/3 HP pump is small, very quiet, and easily hidden behind a couple of rocks or plants next to the falls, or piped to another part of the yard. The liner pondless waterfall uses a submersible sump pump that is placed in the bottom of the basin, and then buried with hundreds of pounds of rocks. To service this pump (only a 2 ½ yr. warranty), all the slimy, stinky rocks have to be removed from the basin first.

The concrete and rebar pondless waterfall pump produces 5,800 gallons per hour at only 356 watts (retail $429). The liner pondless waterfall kit comes with a sump pump (they advertise as “the best pump on the market”). It produces 5,700 gal/hour (100 gal. less) at a whopping 911 watts of power (over twice that of the above-ground pump). You will pay $525 more per year for electricity (at $.12/kwh) for that extra 555 watts. Their pump costs $600 retail ($171 more than the above-ground). Oh, did I mention “the best warranty in the industry” is only 2 ½ years, compared to 3 years for the above-ground?

The concrete and rebar pondless waterfall’s rocks are all mortared in place. So anyone, especially small children, can climb on the rocks without them moving, with possible serious injury resulting. With liner pondless waterfalls, rocks will move and shift on their own without help. After a few months, the ugly liner is exposed in the falls and around the pond.

While building the concrete pondless waterfall, design liberties can be taken, such as altering the length, width or shape of the feature. With a liner pondless waterfall, the parameters have already been set by the manufacturer of the kit.

The concrete pondless waterfall can utilize the large, open basin to install an Aquafill automatic water leveling device. In addition, the basin can be made smaller because the space for water is not taken up by rocks as it is in the liner pondless waterfall basin. The only rock that exists is on top of the galvanized or plastic plank cover.

Wow! Concrete waterfalls are stationary, permanent, lifetime life-expectancy, cheaper to build, cheaper to operate, easier to clean, easy to maintain, longer pump warranty, safer and more natural looking! Apples or lemons? You be the judge!

I am sick and tired of these amateurs giving my life-long profession a bad name by their exaggerated, dishonest and sensational claims – only to be backed up by a nebulous warranty and, at best, shoddy workmanship. My disclaimer: There are professionals installing liners that do take measures to prevent rodent or root attacks by placing a think layer of mortar under and over the liner. I found that if you are going to go to all that extra work and expense, just build it with 3500 psi concrete to begin with!

Happy koi, peace and joy … no koi, no joy.

Would it be better to go for the “Limited Specialty” license instead if the trade is limited to certain jobs performed?

Any info is greatly appreciated.