Placing the BIOFALLS® away from the edge of the pond is
always a good idea. This allows the creation of a meandering stream to
add a touch of nature to your water garden.
- We
typically place the BIOFALLS® 6 to 10 feet from the edge of the
pond. We like to twist and turn the stream to make it look more natural
so we normally use a 10' x 15' piece of liner.
Excavation of the Stream
- Lay
out the stream from the BIOFALLS® to the pond. The typical width of
a stream should be between two to four feet wide (Note: the wider
the stream the less movement of water you will have). Vary the width
of the stream throughout to mimic what would occur in nature.
- Excavate
the stream to a depth of six inches to one foot. Vary the depth in
the corners and in smaller pools along the run of the stream to
allow water to pool in those areas.
- If
your stream is being built on a slope, you will need to create a few
waterfalls in it. To hold the water back when the pump is shut off,
you need to build a check dam at each waterfall.
- To
make the stream look much more natural, you should place some larger
boulders into it. To make this work properly excavate the area where
the rock will be placed a few inches deeper. This will allow the
rock to sit into the bottom of the stream, not just on the
streambed.
- Once
you have the stream excavated, you can place the liner into it.
Installation of Liner and Rocks
- Connect
the liner to the BIOFALLS® as described above.
- Where
the liner overlaps the pond, you will not need to seam the liners
together as long as you have a six inch waterfall or higher. Simply
overlap the stream liner on top of the pond liner.
- Place
rocks of varying sizes around the perimeter of the stream. During
excavation of the stream you dug a few areas where larger rocks will
go. Put some of the black triple-expanding foam into these divots
and place the rocks on top. The foam will allow the water to be
diverted around and over the rocks instead of underneath them.
Deep Streams
A deep stream is simply an extension of the pond itself. By adding a
deep stream to a pond you allow the fish from the pond to swim to other
areas that were previously not possible. One important construction
technique you will need to master is a double-seam.
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