Ponds and waterfalls are a great addition to your Southern California property. The peaceful sounds of rushing water coupled with the beauty of natural plant life transport you right into nature without ever leaving your home.
However, not everyone wants a large pond or waterfall in their backyard. Maybe you’re afraid of how much maintenance it requires or you have small children and are worried about the safety risks. If you’re hesitant about installing traditional waterfalls or a pond in your backyard, pondless water features are a great alternative.
What are Pondless Water Features?
A pondless water feature is essentially a recirculating waterfall and/or stream without the presence of a pond. Pondless water features have an underground basin that catches the water and then it recirculates back to the top. All of the beauty of a waterfall is there, only it doesn’t have the typical 12” – 18” deep pond. A pondless feature will only have water that is 2”-3” in depth, visible above the surface.Pondless Water Feature Maintenance
Low maintenance water features such as these are a great choice for busy Southern California homeowners who love the idea of a waterfall in their backyard but aren’t sure about installing a full pond or don’t have time for the maintenance of a fish pond. All bodies of water require some level of maintenance, but you’ll spend substantially less time on maintenance tasks for a pondless water feature. While a regular fish pond requires at least 10 minutes of maintenance per week, pondless water features require approximately one hour per year. This involves cleaning out the Biofalls once a year, and on occasion, removing leaves from the basin.Types of Pondless Water Designs
There are many different types of water features, and they can be as simple or as grand as you’d like. This allows you to get creative and design a water feature that’s unique to your property. A few popular pondless waterfall design ideas in Southern California include:- Natural waterfalls
- Delicate stream beds
- Cascading low-lying waterfalls
- Streams under a bridge
- Disappearing fountains, urns or columns
- Streams that come right up to your patio