How To Build a Waterfall

You will learn how we professional landscapers build beautiful waterfalls for garden ponds or pondless gardens. This covers a step-by-step process that makes building waterfalls easier than you think.

Step 1  

Choose a location. You can either install a waterfall on a slope or hill, or you can dig it out and place rocks for a natural look.

Step 2  

Get pond liner membrane and stretch it over the entire distance of the waterfall and pond if there is one.

Step 3  

Place some of the rocks on the membrane plastic to hold it in place. Then you can start to form your waterfall.  

• You can also buy poly rock panels in sheets to save time. 

Step 4  

If you decide to have a Koi pond also, this is a good time to put in a bacteria tank which helps keep the Koi alive.  

• The bacteria tank also serves as a waterfall reservoir where the pump hose can circulate the water. Notice how the rocks can be set in place with a special pond adhesive. This holds the stones really well. 

Step 5  

Install the pond pump.  

• Pond pumps are used to circulate the water. It's important to keep the pump a few inches from the bottom to avoid sucking up sediment. 
• The pump will force water up the hill to the waterfall reservoir through a poly hose. The poly hose and also the electric cable going to the pump will need to be disguised or buried. 
• The pump has an intake to suck the water in and an output to push the water out. You will connect hoses to both. One hose will suck up the water from the pond or receiving pool. The other hose will go up the hill to the top of the waterfall. 
• Many pumps have adjustable flow so you can have the perfect waterfall. 

Step 6  

The waterfall can be finished by laying down the rest of the rocks.  

• You can also use fake rocks which look real, but are much lighter and very durable. 
• There are so many variations of water features. It just takes a little creativity. 
• The possibilities are endless.