Support structure needed for waterfall?

[bagsmom]

Hey guys! Still dreaming, researching and planning my smallish pond. I plan to have something like a 9 x 12 pond with a waterfall wier at the head. Probably 31/2 feet off the ground. It will be backed up to a rock wall and I'll attempt a "natural-esque" look. Very informal.

I'll build up a little hill to the top and will use a lot of rocks. But I'm thinking a dirt hill and rocks won't be enough if I want the structure to stay stable over time. It seems like I might need to dig and pour a couple of little footings and maybe stack just a few concrete blocks to form an inner structure -- which I could then cover with dirt and other rocks.

Does this seem sensible? Does it seem like overkill? I'm just imagining lots of rain beating down on a hill made only of dirt. Seems like it would erode and settle.

Thoughts from those of you who have done this? THANKS!

 

[Mmathis]

@bagsmom I never liked the idea of just piling dirt up, either, and for the same reason. It might work for some, but I had visions of major soil erosion. A little retaining wall-type structure with footings sounds like a wise move. I'm not as creative as some people who have created masterpieces with their falls -- mine would look like, well, a few concrete blocks stacked up. My only advice would be too keep things in scale.

 

[bagsmom]

I thought what I could do is make the block structure sort of like a "skeleton" -- internal support that I could hide with dirt and rocks and plants.
LOL -- I'm looking down at "similar threads" and I see I already asked this question in 2014. Duh.... The brain is just old, what can I say?
I'm going to see what everyone said in 2014!

 

[Lisak1]

There are some great YouTube videos on pond building from professionals. The ponddigger is a great source of information. Watch those and see how they handle the waterfall construction. There are also examples of horrible DIY pond builds on YouTube. There's nothing worse than a hill standing in the middle of a flat yard pretending to be a waterfall. You don't need a lot of height to create water flow. Work with your space to create a natural appearance and you will be pleased with the outcome!

 

[Jeremy710]

I modeled my waterfall off what the ponddigger says in waterfall construction very good information.

 

[bagsmom]

Thanks everyone! I will check out the Pond Digger videos.

 

[Jeremy710]

Still under construction at the moment as you can see.

 

[bagsmom]

Thanks for the Pond Digger recommendation! I am addicted to the videos!