Re: How to build a water wall

---

Thanks!!

 

D. Christopher Rogers

Senior Invertebrate Ecologist/ Taxonomist

((,///////////=======<

 

EcoAnalysts, Inc.

1.530.383.4798

P.O. Box 4098

Davis, CA 95616

USA

 

ŸInvertebrate Taxonomy

ŸEndangered Species

ŸEcological Studies

ŸBioassessment

ŸInvasive Species

ŸPlankton

ŸPhycology

 

IDAHO ∙ CALIFORNIA ∙ MISSOURI ∙ PENNSYLVANIA ∙ ONTARIO

WWW.ECOANALYSTS.COM  ∙ ECO@ECOANALYSTS.COM

 

 

By request, this is what I did.  It is not the only way to build a water wall but it is the way I used and it's not complicated.

I started with a wall made of concrete blocks, held together by a standard cement mixture and reinforced with vertical iron bars.  I covered the blocks on one side (the side that faces the viewer) with an impermeable layer, a cement mix with a chemical added to prevent water escaping through the blocks.  (NO point menaming the chemical as it will differ from country to country.)   On the floor, I created a shallow pool using more of the impermeable cement mix.  On the sides that didn't alreday include the concrete blocks, I created a low wall using one row of concrete blocks and, again, I sealed the inside face with the impermeable cement mix.   At this point, I had an ugly wall standing in a shallow pool surrounded by a low wall.  This is the point at which one has to fill the pool with water to be absolutely sure none leaks out.   Mine did leak, via holes created to house waterproof lights to shine on the water wall.  We added copious amounts of imermeable cement mx until the leaks stopped.

On top of the large concrete block wall, we placed a 4" diameter plastic tube in which we had already drilled holes.  The dimension of the holes depends on the pressure of water you supply to the pipe, so experimentation is needed to get the effect you want.  In my case, the water supply to the tube was direct from my own river, va more tube.  For those who don't have a river, one can use a pump that recirculates water from the pool.  If doing this, it makes sense to create a deeper part of the pool to accommodate the pipe that sucks water out to the pump.  If using a river as the supply, the pool needs an oulet and somewhere for the water to go to!

We used just one pipe but with less than very high pressure, this means that the holes at the beginning of the tube allow lots of water to escape while holes further down the tube lose less water, so the far end of the wall is dryer.  An alternative is to put two pipes in, one covering the first half of the wall and the other above the second half.  This creates a slightly more even watering effect, if that's what you want.

Next we covered all the concrete blocks and the pipe using rocks glued together with small amounts of cement (it's not necessary that it's necesary that it's impermeable).  We did this such that almost no cement could be seen.  In my case, the rocks were fresh from my land and they were of a porous type so able to stay wet for a period of time.  This will help plants attach and stay alive. 

Next, we installed waterproof lights in the low wall surrounding the pool, and then coverd these with rocks (stuck on with cement).

We then switched on the supply from the river.  If using a pump, one would need to fill the pool and then switch on the pump.

Then we modified the effect.  Where the pressure was high enough to cause water to jet out vertically or horizontally, we added mre rocks to deflect the water back at the wall.

Finally we are adding plants by pushing their roots into crevices between the rocks.

My water wall is about 5 feet high and is about 25 feet long (we measured it today), though it has additional  dry sections at both ends.  There is no real limit to how high or wide the water wall can be if made in this way.

The floor of the pool can be covered (for example, with pebbles) or it can be painted.   For now, I've done neither.

After just 3 days of being wet, the rocks were green and ferns began to sprout and grow. 

Cheers

Paul

No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
Version: 8.0.238 / Virus Database: 270.12.4/2081 - Release Date: 04/26/09 09:44:00