By covering the excavation with a simple tarp and a small pump . While it may not be 100 % waterproof it limits the water and mud.
Pondless Waterfall Build Questions
- Thread starter msr0459
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Mud happens. We built our pond in a summer with absolutely no rain... until the day we finished digging.
Some dirt really isn't an issue - remember, you're outside, your waterfall is outside Dirt is going to get in in lots of ways. But if you get a LOT of mud in your basin, go ahead and fill it with water and use a small sump pump to pump it out. (If you don't have one of these - get one. You'll use it more than you think.) When we built our pondless we had to pump out the basin a dozen times before we got the liner in.
Some dirt really isn't an issue - remember, you're outside, your waterfall is outside Dirt is going to get in in lots of ways. But if you get a LOT of mud in your basin, go ahead and fill it with water and use a small sump pump to pump it out. (If you don't have one of these - get one. You'll use it more than you think.) When we built our pondless we had to pump out the basin a dozen times before we got the liner in.
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It's currently sunny, but "maybe" showers again later. No standing water in basin, just still mucky. I'm going to attempt to get the liner sandwich drooped over. I'll then take off my boots and step in and fit the corners. Then matrixblox and vault. Then burrito. We shall see! Lol
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Here's a what NOT to do, for anyone that's following this. Do not leave the matrix blox in a freshly dug out basin (without liners) for several days. It rained on and off, and I never gave it a second thought. Until I was ready to remove the blox in preparation of placing the liner sandwich and vault. The matrix blox were PACKED full of mud along the bottom!, and splattered mud all over. It took me well over and hour to clean them.
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I was able to complete my goal today. With afternoon rain in the forecast, I was going full steam all day, first finishing the vault build, then the basin. I had just finished placing the vault and matrixblox on top of the liners, and as I was folding over the liner in preparation for backfilling, it started to pour rain! Lol Now that's good timing!
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Better than pig shit.
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Not quite! Lol
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Every time!
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Totally. I paid for 400 milk crates covered in pig shit.
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I stand corrected!
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It's been a few days, but have been slowly moving forward with the build. Finally getting a break from so much rain!
I literally just recently realized a couple of days ago, that since the basin wound up being shifted to the left a few feet, (due to all the rock),... that my stream trajectory was now NOT landing in the basin. Yet another reason for starting with the basin dig first. But alas, I could not.
So after some minor freaking out.. I've come up with plan. I HAVE to make this work, as with the basin in place, and backfilled, etc., there's quite literally no way a machine could get close enough to move the boulders, in order for me to redirect the path downhill.
This pic is the final drop. I've dug out a pooling area around 1.5' deep or so. It's also a bit deeper in the back, and slants down toward the basin by just barely a bubble on the level. This is roughly formed for now, so can change if needed. My plan is to use rock and liner to create a wall/berm on the vault side, so when the water makes the final drop, it'll (hopefully) slow down enough by hitting the deep pool,..then begin to follow the path of least resistance toward the basin. I could also dig deeper, down to the level of the matrixblox, but figured I'd let it drop slightly once more before dumping into the matrix.
Not really what would typically happen in nature, but is what it is. Thoughts?
I literally just recently realized a couple of days ago, that since the basin wound up being shifted to the left a few feet, (due to all the rock),... that my stream trajectory was now NOT landing in the basin. Yet another reason for starting with the basin dig first. But alas, I could not.
So after some minor freaking out.. I've come up with plan. I HAVE to make this work, as with the basin in place, and backfilled, etc., there's quite literally no way a machine could get close enough to move the boulders, in order for me to redirect the path downhill.
This pic is the final drop. I've dug out a pooling area around 1.5' deep or so. It's also a bit deeper in the back, and slants down toward the basin by just barely a bubble on the level. This is roughly formed for now, so can change if needed. My plan is to use rock and liner to create a wall/berm on the vault side, so when the water makes the final drop, it'll (hopefully) slow down enough by hitting the deep pool,..then begin to follow the path of least resistance toward the basin. I could also dig deeper, down to the level of the matrixblox, but figured I'd let it drop slightly once more before dumping into the matrix.
Not really what would typically happen in nature, but is what it is. Thoughts?
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Nothing wrong with a tiny pond for the water to land it then make its way to the catch basin it absolutely is realistic if anything it's usually at the deepest at the falls then hits the shallow overflow
I just hope your making the reservoir big enough so when power goes out you'd onto overflow the basin