Water feature: View from the top

DSC03632, originally uploaded by robisonpdx.

Again, cleaned up the water feature is a series of pools, an upper and middle pool with a bridge over them, with the middle pool overflowing onto a terraced waterfall. The lower pool collects the runoff and a pump delivers the water back to the top. Pretty simple stuff.

Problems are:

1) The concrete is porous and cracked, any water you run over it will simply run away, in behind the rtaining wall and all sorts of messy things. I know, I tried. :)

2) The whole pumping thing can be as simple or complicated as you want, but lets start with the fact that in order to have enough water "on the track" you have way more running water than the bottom pool can hold. You need a pump that moves enough gallons per hour that the downward flow doesn't overwhelm it, but not so much that it just slurps up every last drop and end up cavitating ( I think that is submariners language for sucking air . . . not sure but i like it ).

Anyway . . . the solution is 1) Get a giant rubber liner. They sell those things at landscaping shops. Cover everything with it and you can contain your water. 2) Ask the guy at the land scaping shop what kind of pump you need. Problem solved.