Help with waterfall

[eastont]

I'm planning to build a waterfall in my yard that will look like Niagara Falls.....I hope. The biggest drawback is I know absolutely nothing about this type of thing.
If there is anyone here who does, I'd sure appreciate some input. I've scoured the net, checked our local pool people but the big thing I can't figure out is the pump(s). I know I need low pressure, high volume. But I don't know how many gph, or whether I should go with immersible, or external pumps. I also would need to know how deep the pond will need to be to ensure the availability of water.
In my area it gets quite cold in the winter -20C/-4F so the pond would freeze up, but how deep it would freeze I don't know.
I've attached a rough layout to show where it will go. The black line is my buried power line.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions or directions.

 

[eastont]

Re: Help with waterfall

I'm a bit surprised that not a single sole on this forum has built a waterfall and pond.
Too much time spent boating I guess.

 

[Huron Angler]

Re: Help with waterfall

iboats member Rickairmedic built a pond with waterfall in his yard last summer and has some pics and info in his restoration thread.

Niagara Falls style would be pretty cool. BTW what kind of muscle car is cloaked in the background. Looks like a nice resto job on that

 

[rbh]

Re: Help with waterfall

You can find the pond pumps at most garden centers, they come in different gpm values. Be ready to winterize your pond every year IE remove pump, If you have a good liner in it, just empty it out half way so the walls dont sluff in the spring.

 

[KeyWestSkipper]

Re: Help with waterfall

You can find the pond pumps at most garden centers, they come in different gpm values. Be ready to winterize your pond every year IE remove pump, If you have a good liner in it, just empty it out half way so the walls dont sluff in the spring.

I've made small indoor-size waterfalls using river rocks and a big basin of some kind, with garden center pumps. But nothing outdoors so I'm not much help.

Was there really nothing on the net about it? That's surprising, I'd have guessed otherwise since you can find tutorials about almost everything, no matter how obscure. There's gotta be some sites that cover ponds and waterfall building, if you can't get the lowdown here.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Help with waterfall

i do remember this from a class/demonstration i went to: if you are going to have fish, you need a 12 inch shear edge on the sides, cats, racoons, do not like being wet. with the 12 inch sides they cannot reach the water.

turtles, you need an island in the center from them to sun.

 

[marlboro180]

Re: Help with waterfall

Go to Wholesale Pumps Home http://www.wholesalepumps.com/SizeWaterfallPump.cfm

Not sure which pump to select? Use Wholesale Pumps exclusive Pump Finder wizard to help you select the right pump. Scroll down for Pipe Sizing Chart.

Below Pipe sizing chart we also list a Decibels Chart
Pump-To-Waterfall Sizing
Size Pond
Size Your Waterfall Pump
Size Pond
Pump-To-Pond Sizing

It is recommended that the water in a basic pond be turned at least once per hour. For Example: if you have a 500 gallon pond, you need at least a 500 gallon per hour(GPH) pump. To calculate the volume of your pond in gallons, use the following formula:

L = Length of pond in feet, W = Width of pond in feet, D = Depth of pond in feet.

L x W x D x 7.5 = Gallons of pond

Example: 10ft x 12 ft x 1.5 ft x 7.5 = 1350 gallons

If your pump will be operating a waterfall or other water feature it's a good idea to use a pump with 25%-50% more flow than the pond volume. For instance if the above example pond had a water fall or other feature, we would multiply the 1350 by 1.5 (adding 50%). This would give us a pump requirement of 2,025 gallons per hour.

Note: remember to include your lift. Example: The 2E-38N will give you 300 GPH at 1 foot but it will only give you 255 GPH at 3 foot. Keep in mind that it is always better to oversize your pump than use one with not enough flow.

This is the best reference I could find for you. It helped me out a while back for designing several indoor fountains for building lobbys.

 

[FAC]

Re: Help with waterfall

i have built three ponds none with large waterfalls though. it is pretty easy just make sure to level everything. a pond looks really bad if one side is overflowing and the other side has a foot of liner showing. buy the biggest pump practical they are close to trolling motors in the sense that you can always regulate/turn down the gph. with your size pond and height of waterfall i would build up the waterfall area with cinder blocks or similar and finish it by fixating rocks ect to your "base" of cinder blocks

hers a pic of my pond

 

[rbh]

Re: Help with waterfall

i have built three ponds none with large waterfalls though. it is pretty easy just make sure to level everything. a pond looks really bad if one side is overflowing and the other side has a foot of liner showing. buy the biggest pump practical they are close to trolling motors in the sense that you can always regulate/turn down the gph. with your size pond and height of waterfall i would build up the waterfall area with cinder blocks or similar and finish it by fixating rocks ect to your "base" of cinder blocks

hers a pic of my pond

Why the fence, cats or kids

 

[FAC]

Re: Help with waterfall

it was to keep the turtles in

 

[zach103]

Re: Help with waterfall

http://www.lawnsite.com/forumdisplay.php?f=22

Go there.. these guys have been doing this stuff for years and are in this profession.. they will help you with everything you need.

 

[aspeck]

Re: Help with waterfall

Did some research on ponds and waterfalls last fall ... will try to find the web sites and post them here later. I do remember that if you are going to keep fish in the pond it is recommended that you DO NOT have a true waterfall type system. It keeps the water too agitated and makes too much of a current that hinders algae growth necessary for the well being of the fish. For fish you are better off with a stream type water entry. If you are set on a water fall, they suggested 2 different ponds, one with the water fall and the other pond. You can circulate the water between the ponds if you like, and the ponds can be together (seperated by plexiglass, or some other physical berrier), but fish don't like the water fall.

At least that is what I read. However, I have been known to be wrong. We are planning on building a pond, but it will be a "stream fed" pond with the water dropping over rocks at a 1 - 2 fall rate.

 

[avenger79]

Re: Help with waterfall

another possible source of information would be a local fish shop. they regularly deal with indoor and outdoor pumps for fish tanks. many of them do decorative falls and what not.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: Help with waterfall

I'm planning to build a waterfall in my yard that will look like Niagara Falls.....I hope. The biggest drawback is I know absolutely nothing about this type of thing.
If there is anyone here who does, I'd sure appreciate some input. I've scoured the net, checked our local pool people but the big thing I can't figure out is the pump(s). I know I need low pressure, high volume. But I don't know how many gph, or whether I should go with immersible, or external pumps. I also would need to know how deep the pond will need to be to ensure the availability of water.
In my area it gets quite cold in the winter -20C/-4F so the pond would freeze up, but how deep it would freeze I don't know.
I've attached a rough layout to show where it will go. The black line is my buried power line.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions or directions.

Like "Nagger Falls" you say. Will there be a casino....and hotels...and restaurants...and ferris wheels....and ripleys museum....and hookers.....and wedding chapels.......and, and, and.......

 

[rbh]

Re: Help with waterfall

YUP the turtles will be doing double duty, hookers in a shell. hmmmmm

 

[thurps]

Re: Help with waterfall

Google video on how to build pond and waterfall. Lots of good stuff.

 

[eastont]

Re: Help with waterfall

Thanks for all your information. And Marlboro & Zach for the links. I haven't spent much time looking at the lawnsite, but the pump site answers some questions.
I hope all my issues will be resolved in the near future....and the car under wraps is a 1967 Ford Galaxie 500 2dr Hardtop. It is about 90% restored, still some interior and minor body work. It originally came from Florida and was stored here in Canada since 1976. I picked it up via a divorce in 2003, the funny thing was that when I went to register it in my name from the original from Florida, I discovered it had been reported stolen in 1976. Luckly so much time had passed the Florida authorities had no interest in it, not did the insurance company.
It is 100% steel, no plastic

 

[Kiwi Phil]

Re: Help with waterfall

I have never done one, but I have a bit to do with irrigation, and surprisingly, the 2 are similar.

My irrigation supplier also stocks the material for ponds and waterfalls.

An irrigation expert will match a pump to your project...the head, the volume, the pressure, the friction loss, the watts etc, (having the biggest pump can hurt the bank account real bad).
You will even need the correct size piping.
This is no big deal. Experts will calculate in out in minutes.

I did watch landscapers do a pond with a small fall.
They used the correct pond liner, and the pond fitted the liner size available.(no joins)
Liner came up over the fall and edges, and looked rough until they laid stone over it....great finish to the edge.
The fall was made out of some sort of plastic imitation rock....looked more like rock than rock does.
Levels were 'vital'
Cheers
Phillip