Creating a Stream or Waterfall

The sound and vision of a stream and waterfall cascading into a catch pool will enhance a pond or water garden in a way that no other water feature can. A waterfall, though, is not just an attractive view or relaxing sound. A waterfall can increase your pond's overall health and maximize its potential. This is perhaps why many pond owners choose to include a waterfall in their pond's plans. Whether a planned feature or simply an afterthought, a waterfall can be an intimidating and daunting project to complete. There are some trade secrets and guidelines, however, which take some of the mystery out of planning the perfect waterfall for your pond or water garden.

The first step to creating the best stream or waterfall for your pond is deciding how much water it will have running through it. This will help you determine how large your feature should be. If you plan to use the same pump to operate your pond's filter and waterfall, your decision will be a simple one. Your pond pump and filter should be capable of cycling the entire volume of your pond at least once every 1 - 2 hours (once per hour is optimal). For example, a pond whose volume is 1000 gallons would need a pump and filter that cycles 1000 gallons every hour or two. Once you know your water flow -1000 gallons per hour for our example - you can decide dramatic your feature should be. Your feature's dramatic impact will be determined by your feature's flow and width. Since we know our flow, we now only need determine its width. The following guides will help:

Trickle (about 1/8" deep) = at least 100 GPH per 4" of feature
Medium (about 1/4" deep) = at least 100 GPH per 2" of feature
Dramatic (about 1/2" deep) = at least 100 GPH per 1" of feature


So for our example of a 1000 gph (gallon per hour) flow, we would need a 10" wide feature to create a dramatic flow, 20" for a medium flow, and 40" for a trickle. If you have already planned on a feature width, you can use this guide to work backwards, being sure to give your pond its proper flow (its entire volume at least once per 1-2 hours).

If your pond is simply for looks and will not be filtered, your water flow will solely depend on how you would like the water to appear as it flows through the feature. You may wish to work from your feature's width backwards. Decide how wide your stream or waterfall will be, and then choose how dramatic you would like the feature to appear. For a 24" stream or waterfall, you would need at least 2400 gph flow for a dramatic impact, 1200 gph flow for a medium impact, and 600 gph for a trickle. Be sure to choose a pump capable of your required flow after considering your application's head height.

Once you're through the planning stages of your feature, its time to get creative. Try using flat slate and smooth lines for formal pond settings or round rocks and boulders for a natural look and feel. You can often become inspired to mold your water feature after natural creeks, streams, and falls. Mix pond lights and plants to create truly stunning, unique combinations.

BestNest offers a complete line of pond and water garden products in a variety of styles and price ranges to fit your application. Visit our Water Garden Department to view our exciting products. For more information on ponds, head height, and filters, visit our Learning Center. For more personal assistance, call our customer service line toll free at 877-562-1818 from 9 AM to 5 PM Eastern Standard Time Monday through Friday.