Stream without waterfall

[stromung]

Is it possible at all? My home owner association do not allow waterfall, but ok with pond. What I have in mind is to make stream around 15ft long, 2ft wide, 2 inches deep that runs to a pond that's roughly around 15ft long, 4ft wide, 3ft deep at the end with only half of it fill with water.

I can have 3 proposals , but would like to include stream on all 3 design. If they rejected the 3 proposals then I have ot submit another one with $$$$. What do you guys think, is stream consider the same as waterfall?

 

[pecan]

I am no expert but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once.

I bet the reason behind the no waterfall with your HOA is because of noise. Streams can make noise as well (not as much normally) so that might be a no go.

I don't have an HOA and have never lived in one but have heard horror stories about them.

 

[JohnHuff]

Yes, definitely you can do that! And a stream is a natural biofilter. Can you show us your designs?

 

[JohnHuff]

I am no expert but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express once.

I bet the reason behind the no waterfall with your HOA is because of noise. Streams can make noise as well (not as much normally) so that might be a no go.

Pecan! You avatar scares me!
If stream noise is a problem, you can make an underground stream with PVC pipes.

 

[stromung]

To Pecan,
I forgot to mention that I want a slow running water more like a lazy brook, no white water here. Now that you mention it, maybe it's a good try to include slow running water in the application.

To Dr John
How to post a picture/photo here.

 

[pecan]

Dr. John, Thanks about the avatar! It is me dressed up Halloween 2011, I was trying to be scary

stromung, Can you ask your HOA if they allow streams, before going to the effort of submitting plans? They may give you a clear yes or no.

If they allow it you should be able to incorporate a nice little lazy brook that flows into your pond

 

[JohnHuff]

To Pecan,
I forgot to mention that I want a slow running water more like a lazy brook, no white water here. Now that you mention it, maybe it's a good try to include slow running water in the application.

To Dr John
How to post a picture/photo here.

When you hit the reply button, you should see a toolbar on top of the message box. On the second line down towards the middle, you should see a greenish thing. Click on that.

 

[addy1]

If you hit more reply options, it gives you the option to attach files, choose the picture from your computer and upload it

.

 

[stromung]

To Pecan
That's the thing, I prefer not to open up a can of worm. Had I asked first, I am afraid they put it in the policy after I hang up the phone with them. If I just submit the application, all they look for is waterfall

To John and Addy
Thanks for the instruction, I will have to scan it first.

 

[JohnHuff]

To Pecan
That's the thing, I prefer not to open up a can of worm. Had I asked first, I am afraid they put it in the policy after I hang up the phone with them. If I just submit the application, all they look for is waterfall

Sneaky, but good!
(PS, we're gonna have to watch this new guy!)

 

[pecan]

Welcome sneaky new guy!

 

[dieselplower]

I don't think stream is the same as waterfall at all. Waterfall, to me, indicates rapid vertical drop. As noted, some of them are noisy. I think you could do a stream with a low rate of vertical drop and be fine. Keep in mind there will have to be some vertical drop from the beginning of the stream to the pond, to be sure the water flows the proper direction. If you want it to be a slow flowing stream, you will need a low gallons per hour flow rate pump. Low gph turnover is generally not great for a lond so you will want another higher flow pump to run the water through a filter at a higher rate. Or you could use one pump and use a T splitter in the line and run one line to the stream and one to the filter.

 

[addy1]

Just moving a rock from point a to point b can change the sound of your stream. Mine is around 85 feet long, it is actually pretty quiet. I added rocks here and there for the noise factor. The 5 foot drop from the deck pond to the beginning of the stream really added noise, but we have no near neighbors to worry about.
Where it flows into the pond, put round large rocks, it will just flow over them into the pond without a lot of splash noise.

 

[stromung]

Diesel Power
Thank you, it' still undecided, but likely i want to have a medium pump (currently I have 3600 gph/hr pump.
What can I use to make a small current in the pond? Is there such a thing as aquarium pump like in the salt water fish tank that can be used in a pond? I am trying to minimize splash but would like to make the water looking alive by therefore creating a small moving current.

Addy1
Thanks, I am thinking of adding bridge to absorb the noise, so let's say if the drop is around 5ft, I'd make at least a 4ft wide bridge above the stream.



What do you all think?

 

[addy1]

My steam pump is only 650 gph, but it has to push the water up 100 plus feet of head pressure, I just run it on a timer. The pond pump is 6800 gph, running all of the time. You could have a small stream pump that is on a timer, turn it off at night when people might hear it more than during the day. Have a different pump for your pond. The pond pump could have all of the water return entering the pond very quietly.