Big Ideals – Small Spaces   

Waterfall & Pond – Design & Excavation

This project features  – Big pond & water feature building Ideas for Small Spaces.

Some homeowners will quickly dismiss the idea of having a custom built water feature or pond in their backyard or courtyard because of having very limited space or tight access for construction and equipment. The following example shows the possibilities for those with very little available space to have a water feature that is big in appearance and functon!

This Harford County homeowner presented Arbor Ridge Services, with one of it’s more challenging projects to date. Not only was it a very small footprint which could be used for the entire Koi Pond & waterfall but the added challenge of very limited work space, the need to design and dig around existing gas and electric lines and a provision for full access to the existing outdoor kitchen and fireplace that naturally blended with the overall design. This project would feature a beautiful cascading waterfall, a custom blue stone coping, and a natural looking hand-cut “floating” bluestone island step in the middle the pond to permit access to the fireplace.  The access to bring materials into the pond area was particularly challenging, As you will see.

The excavation had to be carefully dug by hand with unused dirt being carefully relayed down 7 steps and then out to the street. The excavation is a critical part to any pond project but this one needed to be precise in order for it to look and feel natural.

In these photos you can see that we’ve begun the excavation for the pond, delicately sculpting the area for adequate pond depth and positioning to optimize the water volume that is essential for maintaining Koi health and water quality. This had to be precisely calculated due to the limited space.

Now that the excavation is about finished we will start bringing pond base materials.

Waterfall & Pond – Base Materials Installation

Now that the excavation has been completed, and all excess dirt was carefully removed by hand from this small Maryland courtyard site, the pond and waterfall base building materials needed to be brought in and installed.

The lining system needed to be installed. This is a critical aspect of the construction. First I installed a woven heavy ‘felt’ type Geotextile fabric.  This is to protect the EPDM rubber liner from any sharp objects in the soil below. Next, the Firestone 45mil EPDM rubber liner is installed. Followed by 2 additional layers of the ‘felt’ type Geotextile fabric to protect the liner from any sharp stones or abrasions. This technique allows the EPDM liner system to be completely sandwiched between 3 layers of protective Geotextile fabric, minimizing the possibility of future problems with the lining system.  Once the liner and plumbing for filtration and waterfall pump system were roughed-in, and the Aquascape skimmer and biofalls filter are installed – the real fun started!

This is where shaping the desired look and feel of this water feature would begin. This design called for a blend of natural looking irregularly shaped fieldstone boulders and small flat pieces of Pennsylvania Bluestone for the perimeter stonework, coping, and fireplace access step. The flat rocks were also tastefully woven with the fieldstone boulders to achieve structural stability for each tier of the waterfall, while not compromising an overall naturalistic look.  All had to coordinate color and style with the existing fireplace and outer wall stonework. Once the all stones and  flat rocks were carefully positioned by hand, the site would now be ready for the next phase of this project… water!

Waterfall & Pond – Finishing Touches

With the liner system, fieldstone boulders and flat rocks precisely installed, I now work  on installing the LED pond and waterfall lights within the stonework. These energy efficient waterproof lights only use 3 watts per light!  The lights once discreetly installed are used to illuminate the pond and waterfalls – creating a magical experience at night.  A water feature looks completely different at night with lighting- it’s like having 2 ponds in one.

Now, water is used to rinse down all of the stone and gravel. This cloudy water is pumped out and the pond is filled with clean fresh water and a water detox product is used to prepare the water for fish.

Next, the pumping system is tested, and valves are adjusted for optimal flow and sound.  The waterfall flow-route is tweaked for aesthetics and the waterfall acoustics are balanced for the perfect sound effect. This is a fun part of the project. By moving a small stone 1 inch I can completely change the echo chamber and sound of the waterfalls.  Now the liner system can be carefully trimmed and the edge ‘treatments’ are finished. Basically this means that the liner system is hidden and the pond and waterfall blends seamlessly into the landscape – looking as if it’s been there for hundreds of years.  Allowing the pump to run, the Aquascape skimmer and biofalls filter can start doing their job and get the water cleared up, bio-balanced and ready to add aquatic plants and fish.

With all of the excess liner system material trimmed off and the final touches completed on the aquatic & marginal plantings all attention turns to larger plantings and finishing the landscaping. These larger plants are installed to visually blend the courtyard walls and fireplace with the waterfall and pond. These plants really give structure to the pond, waterfall, and garden as well as softening the edges, giving a natural and soothing look to the environment.

Beneficial bacteria is added to the water, and fish can now be gradually introduced to the pond. Once the fish are completely acclimated to the pond water they begin exploring all of the hidden areas in the pond and enjoying their new home!

This project is an excellent example of how Arbor Ridge Services can make your “Big pond and waterfall idea” a reality, even in very “small space”…. another happy customer!

We are a Baltimore Maryland area based full services Pond contractor & Pond Maintenance landscape company specializing in naturalistic water features, and unique outdoor spaces, including Ponds, Water Gardens and Stream Design, Construction, Repair, Renovation & Maintenance Serving the greater Baltimore County Maryland MD area. Arbor Ridge was founded to fill a need for a full service company that truly cares about the details of every project and service.  Please click here to see what our Baltimore area clients have to say about us!

Our service areas include most of the areas around Baltimore Maryland (MD)
Contact us if your town is not listed below.
Baltimore, Towson, Kingsville, Lutherville, Timonium, Ruxton, Glen Arm, Jarrettsville, Glyndon, Fallston, Bel Air, Hydes, Roland Park, Cockeysville, Reisterstown, Greenspring, Perry Hall, Notingham, White Marsh, Joppa, Jacksonville, Long Green, Owings Mills, Churchville, Hampton, and Baltimore County and Harford County

We offer: Ponds | Waterfalls | Streams | Pondless Waterfalls | Fountains | Fish Ponds | Koi Ponds | Water Gardens | Eco System Ponds | Rain Water Harvesting | Landscape Lighting | LED Pond Lighting | Water Features | Design | Installation | Repair | Maintenance | Pond Repair Service | Pond Cleaning | Pond and Waterfall Construction | Renovation | Consultation | Serving Baltimore County and Harford County Maryland (MD)