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STREAMS & WATERFALLS

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Waterfalls provide 3 main functions within a pond system.

Aesthetics.

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The sound of water falling into the pond.

Helps to recycle the water.

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Waterfalls are basically divided into

Waterfalls with ponds

Pond less waterfalls

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STREAMS

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Streams are a large version of a recycling water feature. Usually they take
their water from a pool, which acts as its reservoir.

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The position of the waterfall will govern how the pond below is shaped and
the height of the top edge will set the level of the sides for the pond above it.

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Firstly, water has to be pumped up to the head of the waterfall; this may well
be a header pool which must fill up in order to overflow into the next level.

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Subsequent pools must also fill before the water eventually returns to the

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reservoir. If the calculations are wrong the reservoir becomes drained

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before the water has gone full cycle and the water level may drop so much
that it becomes unsightly, exposing ledges or liner.

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Also care must be taken when the stream is turned off, all the water will
return to the bottom pool, possibly causing it to flood.

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The construction of the pond system must be built from the bottom up.

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First dig out he shape of the pond. Then the liners are fixed. The liner is
shown as black line. Once the bottom liner is in position, the liner for the
top pond is fitted, this time overlapping the bottom pond (shown in pink).
In that way, there is no path for the water to leak back under the liner and

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be lost.

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The upper head is covered with slate as it usually provides a smooth flow

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of water over it
 above the top edge of the waterfall.

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The dotted line shows that the surrounding edge of the top pond must be

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In order to completely hide the liner, the waterfall is covered by using rocks

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to build a wall in front of the liner so that the water falls down in front of
the rocks but that the liner is completely hidden behind them.

FILTRATION

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All water features need on-going maintenance to keep them clear and
healthy.

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A simple water feature will need its pump filter cleaning.

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OVERFLOW AND DRAIN

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A plastic pipe is inserted into a socket located at the lowest point in the pool.

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As the water level reaches the top of the pipe, it will overflow into it and go off
to the main drain.

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To completely drain the pool is simply a matter of pulling the pipe out of the
socket, allowing the water in the pool to escape to the main drain.

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PUMP LOCATION

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Pump location can make a big difference to pool clarity. If the pump is sitting

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on the floor of the pool, it is likely to pick up any debris there and either clog
its filter or pump it back round the pool.

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One simple way of avoiding this is to raise the pump from the floor on a slab
and a couple of bricks.

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Another method is to design a separate chamber outside the main pool to
house the pump, the two being connected by an underground pipe.

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Size of the pond

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The size of a pool really depends upon its intended use, although a pool

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much smaller than 2m x 1.5m

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The depth of a pool really needs to be around 450mm - 600mm, but this
will depend upon conditions around the pool, such as shade and the average
temperature.

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If designing for reflections, remember that a deeper pool will give better

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reflections. Shallower pools should have their base painted black if
constructed from concrete, as this will help to increase the waters reflective
qualities.

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If youre intending to stock the pool well up with planting, be sure to allow

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for this in the pool size, otherwise you may find that you end up with only a
small area of water left visible.

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Dig out the
required
shape
Line the area Start from
the bottom
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 Bog garden

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A bog garden employs permanently moist (but not waterlogged) soil to
create a habitat for plants and creatures which thrive in such conditions.

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It may exploit existing poor drainage in the garden, or it may be artificially
created using pond liners or other materials to trap water in the area.

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Any such structure must allow a small amount of seepage to prevent the
water stagnating. For instance, a pond liner must be pierced a few times.

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Typically a bog garden consists of a shallow area adjoining a pond or
other water feature, but care must be taken to prevent water draining from a
higher to a lower level.

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The minimum sustainable depth is 4045 cm (1618 in). Good drainage is
provided by gravel placed over the liner, and the bog can be kept watered

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by using a perforated hose below the surface.


Making a stand-alone bog garden

Mark out the chosen area

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Excavate the chosen area to 45cm (18in) and put the soil aside

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Line the hole with polythene sheeting or butyl pond liner at least 0.5mm
thick. Place bricks or stones on the edge to stop it shifting as you walk on it

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Pierce the liner at 1m (3ft) intervals with a garden fork
Lay a hosepipe or porous pipe in the bottom, and seal the far end. The other

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end needs to come up and out of the bog garden so that it can be used to
apply water for irrigation

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Replace the excavated soil, removing any weeds and large stones in the
process. If the soil is low in organic matter, incorporate compost, leaf
mould or well-rotted manure

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The soil level will now be higher than the originally, but it will settle in

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time.
Once the soil has settled back to its natural level, the bog garden is ready
for planting.

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Making a bog area on the edge of a new pond

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Mark out and excavate the total area of the pond and bog garden, leaving a

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ridge of soil between the pond and bog garden areas that is 7.5cm (3in) lower
than the edge of the pond

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Line the pond first, and then the bog garden, with sand and geotextile
Fill up the pond to just below the level of the ridge between the pond and bog
garden areas

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Put a 5cm (2in) layer of coarse grit or gravel in the bog garden area, for
drainage, and partially fill it up with soil

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Build a barrier of rocks or stones between the pond and bog garden, along the
interconnecting ridge
Finish filling the bog garden with soil, until it is level with the surrounding

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soil. Add more water to the pond.

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Disguise the edges of the liner with stones and pebbles, creating a beach
effect at the edges of the pond and bog garden
Allow the soil to settle for a few days and then plant up the bog garden

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Wetlands

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A wetland is a land area that is saturated with water, either permanently or
seasonally, such that it takes on the characteristics of a distinct ecosystem.

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Primarily, the factor that distinguishes wetlands from other land forms or
water bodies is the characteristic vegetation that is adapted to its unique soil
conditions:

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Wetlands consist primarily of hydric soil, which supports aquatic plants.

Main wetland types include swamps, marshes, bogs, fens and the sub-types

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include mangrove

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Wetlands play a number of roles in the environment, principally water

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purification, flood control, and shoreline stability. Wetlands are also

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considered the most biologically diverse of all ecosystems, serving as home
to a wide range of plant and animal life.

Ramsar Convention definition

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Article 1.1: "...wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether
natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or

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flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth
of which at low tide does not exceed six metres.

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Article 2.1: "[Wetlands] may incorporate riparian and coastal zones

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adjacent to the wetlands, and islands or bodies of marine water deeper than
six metres at low tide lying within the wetlands."

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 The Ramsar Convention (formally, the Convention on Wetlands of

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International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat) is an

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international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization
of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of

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wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental
ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific,

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and recreational value. It is named after the city of Ramsar in Iran, where
the Convention was signed in 1971.

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 what is a constructed wetland?

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A CONSTRUCTED wetland is a shallow basin filled with some sort of
filter material (substrate), usually sand or gravel, and planted with

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vegetation tolerant of saturated conditions. Wastewater is introduced into
the basin and flows over the surface or through the substrate, and is

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discharged out of the basin through a structure which controls the depth of
the wastewater in the wetland.

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A constructed wetland comprises of the following five major components:

Basin

Substrate

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Vegetation

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Liner

Inlet/Outlet arrangement system.
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Advantages of constructed wetlands

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wetlands can be less expensive to build than other treatment options
utilization of natural processes,

simple operation and maintenance,

process stability.

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simple construction (can be constructed with local materials),

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Limitations of constructed wetlands

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large area requirement
wetland treatment may be economical relative to other options only where
land is available and affordable.

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design criteria have yet to be developed for different types of wastewater

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and climates.

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 These are horizontal flow (HF) and vertical flow (VF).

Horizontal Flow

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There are mainly two types of flow directions used in these wetlands.

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It is called HF wetland because the wastewater is fed in at the inlet and
flow slowly through the porous substrate under the surface of the bed in a
more or less horizontal path until it reaches the outlet zone.

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During this passage the wastewater will come into contact with a network
of aerobic, anoxic and anaerobic zones. The aerobic zones will be around
the roots and rhizomes of the wetland vegetation that leak oxygen into the
substrate.

During the passage of wastewater through the rhizosphere, the wastewater

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is cleaned by microbiological degradation and by physical and chemical

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processes.

HF wetland can effectively remove the organic pollutants from the

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wastewater.
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Vertical flow
VF constructed wetland comprises of a flat bed of sand/gravel topped with

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sand/gravel and vegetation. Wastewater is fed from the top and then
gradually percolates down through the bed and is collected by a drainage

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network at the base.

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