Water gardening is fun and it is a growing trend. Water features are popping up in yards all over the country. People want their little piece of the natural world right in their backyards and nothing provides that more than a water feature. Running water of a waterfall or fountain is very soothing and blocks out the noises of our surroundings. As we live in the desert and water is scarce, we need to be not wasteful. Only because we can afford to pay for the water, doesn't mean we can use as much as we want. Keep in mind, waste not, want not.

I met somebody recently who has a lovely waterfall and small pond and is cleaning it out on a weekly basis, running about 500 gallons into the landscape. That is certainly not the way to do it and there is no need to go into all that work. A water feature is supposed to be fun, entertaining, environmentally correct and definitely not wasteful. A well put together water feature can be maintained water wise and shouldn't need more water than a landscaped yard and certainly not as much as a lawn. Of course there will be evaporation on very hot days, which will have to be topped up. A monthly water exchange of 10 to 20% is also necessary. I do that when my trees need to be deep watered, in the moment the rains are doing it for me. To avoid a lot of evaporation the surface of the water feature should be covered with leaves at least 60%. My pond has a coverage for 70 to 80%, but I am using aeration devices to help with the gas exchange. This is very important to keep the fish happy. The heavy coverage helps also with the algae. Algae cannot grow without light. The bottom of the pond should be planted with Elodea or a similar plant at least 40%. These plants are the work horses in the pond. They oxygenate the water, filter it, and take the nutrients away from the algae, as they feed through their leaves. They also provide hiding places for fish, tadpoles, and dragonfly larvae, and food. A pond that contains fish should also have a filter, it just makes maintenance easier. When your pond has achieved a natural balance there is no need to drain it and start new. My pond is now five years old and has never been drained. I thought about it, but then as the season goes on it always look clean. My plants are doing their work. If there is a waterfall you have to be on the lookout for water losses through run offs and channeling. That's why I advise against a float valve that automatically fills up the water level. It might be handy but doesn't make you aware of a problem. Waterfalls should always be lined with a liner that overhangs into the pond. Never overstock your pond, which will lead to maintenance problems and fish losses. The over all guideline is one Koi for 125 gallons, not starting in a pond with less than 1000 gallons. You can have four goldfish in 125 gallons, even if they start out small, they will grow very quickly, then what? Fountains are beautiful but very wasteful. On a windy day they should be shut off.