Ideas need for a DIY waterfall wier

I've pretty much decided to go with retaining blocks for my new waterfall.
I've considered a few designs, but think I'll use a wishing well design with
a cascade out the side. But this presents three problems, one, I need a weir
about 15" wide, 9" deep and about 4" high, two I need to contain the water
in the well and three I need to attach the weir to the container.

I was originally considering a round Whiskey barrel container, but the
diameter is a bit small for my size. Plan B would be to cut off a 55 gallon
drum, which is slightly big, but could probably be concealed. Plan C would
just be to throw some liner in the well and use the top row of stones to
hold it in place. But I don't know if a single row of stones would hold the
liner? Each stone weighs about 20 pounds and there would be about 20 stones.

So any ideas for a weir that I could attach to liner or a half barrel? I
really have no good ideas for this one.



..



Bill Stock

"Bill Stock" <> wrote in message
news:e15e$48535727$4c0a9bde$-Free...
> I've pretty much decided to go with retaining blocks for my new waterfall.
> I've considered a few designs, but think I'll use a wishing well design
> with a cascade out the side. But this presents three problems, one, I need
> a weir about 15" wide, 9" deep and about 4" high, two I need to contain
> the water in the well and three I need to attach the weir to the
> container.
>
> I was originally considering a round Whiskey barrel container, but the
> diameter is a bit small for my size. Plan B would be to cut off a 55
> gallon drum, which is slightly big, but could probably be concealed. Plan
> C would just be to throw some liner in the well and use the top row of
> stones to hold it in place. But I don't know if a single row of stones
> would hold the liner? Each stone weighs about 20 pounds and there would be
> about 20 stones.
>
> So any ideas for a weir that I could attach to liner or a half barrel? I
> really have no good ideas for this one.

Talking to myself again, but I had an idea for this in bed last night. I was
thinking I could use a plastic garbage can sliced in half (or whatever gives
me four inches) with most of the bottom cut out. I would then glue and bolt
the bottom (with a small rim left) to my EPDM liner with a plastic washer
the same shape as the rim of the pail.. It might take a bit of hunting to
find a pail the right size, but at least I've got an idea. The other problem
is that this may be too soft to support the water, but most of the weight
should be carried by the retaining stones.

Any insights or warnings on tis idea?

Sorry I've been away so much.. just a busy assed year here.

I posted plan on an upper pondlet 2 years ago, and looks like that projec
ts
is almost done right.

We had used crap liner 2 years to test things. Tore all that out this yea
r,
cleared the downflow stream of the smooth pebbles.

I used a preformed kidney pond from lowe's for the upper pondlet/veggie
filter, and we were lucky enough to spot water lettuce and hyacynth a mon
th
or so ago. Both have flourished well in a small krylon painted kids deco
pond we also have.

Our pickerl are just growing like weeds, and we had to repot all of them
because they severly outgrew their planters. We've also got lizard's tong
ue,
and both purple and yello iris as well, also growing like weeds. I also h
ad
to split out water lillies into 10 plants or so as well this year.

We're weekly seeing a floating mass on top of the pond, looks like someon
e
threw a handful or horse poop in th epond.. is that dead algae clumps? if

so, then we've finally gotten enough surface coverae to combat the algae.

I've got the pump in the main pond pumpin up to the kidney pondlet/veggie

filter, and put all the water lettuce and hyacynth in the pondlet.. most
of
it's surface it covered now.

In just a day, it's roots have gone from bare, to being debris covered, s
o
the plant filtration is working.

We got some collapse on the edges of the kidney pond where the ground was
n't
packed enough below it, and we needed it at a angle to make sure we had
enough downflow, but we didn't want a big gap at the upper edge of it
without water, so we used great stuff, built up the edges and then painte
d
it semi gloss black to match the kidney pond itself, and it actually look
s
great. One side it already populated with strawberry plants that are grow
ing
like weeds, and the rest I watered down slightly, and then put a few whee
l
barrows of mulch on top of.

It doesn't appear that we have any water loss from the pondlet, stream an
d
small water fall down into the main pond, but I'll wait a week or so befo
re
calling it a success.

So are those floating clumps dead algae? I see them appear weekly, and ju
st
fish them out with the net.

And yeah our pond is still way overstocked, but if things appear to be go
ing
well, I'm not messing with what appears to be working.

--
Gareee©

On Sat, 14 Jun 2008 05:47:32 EDT, "Bill Stock" <> wrote:

>I've pretty much decided to go with retaining blocks for my new waterfall.
>I've considered a few designs, but think I'll use a wishing well design with
>a cascade out the side. But this presents three problems, one, I need a weir
>about 15" wide, 9" deep and about 4" high, two I need to contain the water
>in the well and three I need to attach the weir to the container.

This is pricey, but maybe you could find something like it to fit?
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/prod/203182/product.web
Cheaper ideas that might work:
http://www.aqua-mart.com/atwaga.html

Also, if the wishing well is wood, could you staple the liner on, or run it
over the edge and cap it with wood rather than stone?

>I was originally considering a round Whiskey barrel container

Now I have seen these bigger than whiskey barrel size at Lowe's/Home Depot
type places with weirs.

I think I'd like weirs that come built in due to leakage. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

On Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:50:59 EDT, Gareee© <gareee-no->
wrote:

>Sorry I've been away so much.. just a busy assed year here.
>
>I posted plan on an upper pondlet 2 years ago, and looks like that proje
c
>ts
>is almost done right.
>
>We had used crap liner 2 years to test things. Tore all that out this ye
a
>r,
>cleared the downflow stream of the smooth pebbles.
>
>I used a preformed kidney pond from lowe's for the upper pondlet/veggie
>filter, and we were lucky enough to spot water lettuce and hyacynth a mo
n
>th
>or so ago. Both have flourished well in a small krylon painted kids deco

>pond we also have.
>
>Our pickerl are just growing like weeds, and we had to repot all of them

>because they severly outgrew their planters. We've also got lizard's ton
g
>ue,
>and both purple and yello iris as well, also growing like weeds. I also
h
>ad
>to split out water lillies into 10 plants or so as well this year.
>
>We're weekly seeing a floating mass on top of the pond, looks like someo
n
>e
>threw a handful or horse poop in th epond.. is that dead algae clumps? i
f
>
>so, then we've finally gotten enough surface coverae to combat the algae.
>
>I've got the pump in the main pond pumpin up to the kidney pondlet/veggi
e
>
>filter, and put all the water lettuce and hyacynth in the pondlet.. most

>of
>it's surface it covered now.
>
>In just a day, it's roots have gone from bare, to being debris covered,
s
>o
>the plant filtration is working.
>
>We got some collapse on the edges of the kidney pond where the ground wa
s
>n't
>packed enough below it, and we needed it at a angle to make sure we had
>enough downflow, but we didn't want a big gap at the upper edge of it
>without water, so we used great stuff, built up the edges and then paint
e
>d
>it semi gloss black to match the kidney pond itself, and it actually loo
k
>s
>great. One side it already populated with strawberry plants that are gro
w
>ing
>like weeds, and the rest I watered down slightly, and then put a few whe
e
>l
>barrows of mulch on top of.
>
>It doesn't appear that we have any water loss from the pondlet, stream a
n
>d
>small water fall down into the main pond, but I'll wait a week or so bef
o
>re
>calling it a success.
>
>So are those floating clumps dead algae? I see them appear weekly, and j
u
>st
>fish them out with the net.
>
>And yeah our pond is still way overstocked, but if things appear to be g
o
>ing
>well, I'm not messing with what appears to be working.
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

Ok, I think there was supposed to be a reply in there somewhere?

"~ jan" <> wrote in message
news:...
On Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:50:59 EDT, Gareee© <gareee-no->
wrote:

>Sorry I've been away so much.. just a busy assed year here.
>
>I posted plan on an upper pondlet 2 years ago, and looks like that proje
c
>ts
>is almost done right.
>
>We had used crap liner 2 years to test things. Tore all that out this ye
a
>r,
>cleared the downflow stream of the smooth pebbles.
>
>I used a preformed kidney pond from lowe's for the upper pondlet/veggie
>filter, and we were lucky enough to spot water lettuce and hyacynth a mo
n
>th
>or so ago. Both have flourished well in a small krylon painted kids deco

>pond we also have.
>
>Our pickerl are just growing like weeds, and we had to repot all of them

>because they severly outgrew their planters. We've also got lizard's ton
g
>ue,
>and both purple and yello iris as well, also growing like weeds. I also
h
>ad
>to split out water lillies into 10 plants or so as well this year.
>
>We're weekly seeing a floating mass on top of the pond, looks like someo
n
>e
>threw a handful or horse poop in th epond.. is that dead algae clumps? i
f
>
>so, then we've finally gotten enough surface coverae to combat the algae.
>
>I've got the pump in the main pond pumpin up to the kidney pondlet/veggi
e
>
>filter, and put all the water lettuce and hyacynth in the pondlet.. most

>of
>it's surface it covered now.
>
>In just a day, it's roots have gone from bare, to being debris covered,
s
>o
>the plant filtration is working.
>
>We got some collapse on the edges of the kidney pond where the ground wa
s
>n't
>packed enough below it, and we needed it at a angle to make sure we had
>enough downflow, but we didn't want a big gap at the upper edge of it
>without water, so we used great stuff, built up the edges and then paint
e
>d
>it semi gloss black to match the kidney pond itself, and it actually loo
k
>s
>great. One side it already populated with strawberry plants that are gro
w
>ing
>like weeds, and the rest I watered down slightly, and then put a few whe
e
>l
>barrows of mulch on top of.
>
>It doesn't appear that we have any water loss from the pondlet, stream a
n
>d
>small water fall down into the main pond, but I'll wait a week or so bef
o
>re
>calling it a success.
>
>So are those floating clumps dead algae? I see them appear weekly, and j
u
>st
>fish them out with the net.
>
>And yeah our pond is still way overstocked, but if things appear to be g
o
>ing
>well, I'm not messing with what appears to be working.
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:36:43 EDT, Gareee© <gareee-no->
wrote:

>Ok, I think there was supposed to be a reply in there somewhere?

Sorry about that, now I know what happens when I hit the Back key when I
think I'm typing and I'm not. At least, I assume that's what caused it to
reply and send.... something odd happens, that's all I remember. ;-)

Otherwise I really didn't have anything to say, but I'm glad the great
stuff worked. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

you might try the cut off 55 gal drum ....and get a sheet of 1/4 " plastic , cut it to the shape of your drum , take a torch ,and mold the sides how you want them, its not hard . put a liner in it let it go in the drum and over your new spill way . just a thought

"~ jan" <> wrote in message
news:...
On Mon, 16 Jun 2008 13:36:43 EDT, Gareee© <gareee-no->
wrote:

>Ok, I think there was supposed to be a reply in there somewhere?

>Sorry about that, now I know what happens when I hit the Back key when I
think I'm typing and I'm not. At least, I assume that's what caused it to
reply and send.... something odd happens, that's all I remember. ;-)

>Otherwise I really didn't have anything to say, but I'm glad the great
stuff worked. ~ jan

Thanks.. no one ever DID reply though.. was that floating gunk dead algae
?
We had a small leak from the preformed pondlet, but sorted that easily
without too much work. I'm relocating a gargoyle fountain over to the
pondlet today, and because we've had very cool evenings the last two days

(49 last night) the fish have been VERY frisky!

Hard to tell if the floating debris in the main pond is all relocating
itself to the pondlet veggie filter, or is the veggie filter isn't large
enough.. the pond is 13x13x2-3 feet, and the veggie filter prefomred pond
is
100-200 gallons I thnk. The water lettuce and WH on it are growing like
mad, lots of baby water lettuce, and you can see the roots are all covere
d
in trapped water debis now.

and our main pond iris, lillies, pickerel, and lizard's tongue are going
like gangbusters!

On Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:41:50 EDT, Gareee© <gareee-no->
wrote:

>Thanks.. no one ever DID reply though.. was that floating gunk dead alga
e?

Sounds like it to me, but I've never see it like that in a pond where it
is
in big clumps resembling a horse nugget. I have seen it in lake that got
a
lot of farm run off.

Things are growing well here... Just planted a big row of impatiens aroun
d
my weeping cherry. I am trying one in the floating island again hoping it
will survive this time. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us