How to Build a Pond Stream Waterfall

Overview

A waterfall is an attractive feature that adds sound to your garden. Visitors to a garden with a rushing waterfall can't help but be drawn to the feature thanks to the sound dimension, which creates white noise that can soothe any jangled nerves. While some waterfalls may be as simple as a trickle that flows over rocks and into a pond, a stream waterfall may flow as a stream down a gentle slope into a shallow pool below.

Step 1

Mark your pond's location on the ground with spray paint.

Step 2

Dig out the location of the catch basin and place this dirt, along with stones, in the upper regions of the garden to build up the stream bed. Then dig out the location for your upper pool in the upper regions of the garden.

Step 3

Line your pool with your PVC pond liner.

Step 4

Place the pump in the catch basin at the bottom of the stream bed. Connect the hose and run it up to the bottom of the upper pool.

Step 5

Add stone layers to the bottom of your stream, your catch basin and upper pool.

Step 6

Dig a stream bed in the rock layers of your waterfall. This will help to direct the flow of water, as well as giving your water stair-steps to fall over.

Step 7

Line the upper pool and stream bed with the PVC liner, overlapping the built-up edges of your stream bed.

Step 8

Set decorative boulders around the waterfall to create the landscape over which the water will tumble. Fill in cracks with pea gravel.

Step 9

Fill the catch basin with water and plug in the pump. Once the pump begins running, add more water to the catch basin to replace circulating water.