When it comes to garden landscaping the addition of a water feature is often high on a homeowner's wish list. For many though any form of garden construction is a worrying proposition, after all building a pond or a waterfall is not like mowing the lawn. Building a waterfall for a backyard stream though is one of the easiest of all water features to construct.

Those homeowners fortunate enough to have a stream running through their backyard are immediately at an advantage over many. The stream is a ready made source of water and thus there is no need to construct a pond or make use of any pumps.

Building a waterfall for a backyard stream basically involves diverting the stream bed into a new desired path. The simplest waterfall to construct is a shallow one which replicates a series of rapids in a river. This backyard waterfall involves construction of a new stream bed, one with a gentler gradient. This new stream bed is normally made out of concrete, although a pond liner can also make an effective bed. Having created a gentler stream bed over a set period, the result is that the stream bed is split in two, one high and one low. As the water falls from one to another so a waterfall is created.

A more impressive backyard waterfall can be created by pooling the water and then lowering the lower stream bed by a large amount of landscaping. The creation of the pool can be done using a fixed or flexible pond liner. The landscaping part takes more work and requires some planning as the remaining part of the stream may need to be diverted to ensure that it continues to flow as it should. The result can be impressive and a miniature Niagara Falls could well result.

In both cases though, it is important to remember to reinforce the lip of the waterfall. Water is a major eroding force and will wear away at the natural stream bed. Concrete may be more sturdy but even concrete is not impervious to the effects of water.

As with any serious landscaping project, plenty of time and planning should precede the work. Preparation will ensure that mistakes can be avoided, and it is a lot simpler to plan with a pen rather than a shovel. With effort though, a beautiful and impressive waterfall for a backyard stream can be constructed.

Learn more about this author, Tim Harry.
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