When a waterfall is built outdoors, the best thing to increase its appeal is to have a pond at its base. The pond may be large or small, depending on the space the landscape provides, and may house plants, fish or both. Such waterfalls are ideally built of stone, so that they seem in harmony with the naturalness of the pond. They may have two or three steps in their cascade so that the water bounces repeatedly before finally falling into the pond.
Constructing the pond requires much care. Its size must be taken into consideration. Pond waterfalls are placed away from trees to prevent their leaves from falling into the pond and cluttering it. Also, they are sloped in such a way to prevent rain runoff from emptying into them. Their depth depends on how many fishes and plants are to be housed there.
The pond is dug in a step-like formation. The coastal area is shallower; the middle is deeper. The pond must be lined with a polyvinyl material, or concrete, to prevent the water from seeping into the surrounding soil. This lining must be further camouflaged with a layer of bed soil. Then water is filled into the pond. The pond itself also has a pumping unit to keep the water circulating.
Waterfall ponds are housed with plants such as water hyacinths, water lilies, cattails, arrowhead and others. Plants generally occupy two-thirds of the surface of the pond to provide shade to the fishes. Local fishes may be ideally selected as they are better suited to the habitat. Alternatively, there may be goldfish. Ponds also contain snails and tadpoles to eat away the algae.
Ponds are usually constructed simultaneously with the waterfall. The whole thing will require a lot of space in the garden or the backyard, so proper planning is required. However, a completed pond waterfall adds immense aesthetic value to the landscape.
People may construct their pond waterfalls themselves if they have the time and the inclination to do so. If not, there are several landscape designers who can be hired for such a job. It is necessary to seek permission of the authorities before digging in the ground, and also ask utility companies if they have any underground cables running through the landscape. The costs of pond waterfalls may run into several hundreds or even thousands of dollars, depending on their size and the organisms they contain.
