Ponds, Streams & Waterfalls

Finishing for a Friend
Departed watershaper, Grant Smith, left behind a legacy of excellence, integrity and service. Following his untimely death in 2021, a group of his colleagues and friends from Watershape University stepped up to complete a number of his unfinished projects, all of which came to successful resolution and lived up to the high standards he stood for. ...
The Two-Ocean Stream
It's the only feature of its kind in North America: a place in Wyoming where visitors can watch a flow of water divide on the crest of the Continental Divide, beginning journeys that lead thousands of miles in opposite directions, eventually flowing into the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. ...
A Living Tribute
The presence of water in the landscape can stir deep emotions, and sometimes even help soothe the pain of a lost loved one. That was case in the project described here, where a beautiful stream and waterfall installation serves as a centerpiece of a property that is devoted to love, remembrance and grieving. ...
A802-C: Natural Edge Planter Pocket
Combining plants and water is one of the key elements in creating watershapes that look natural. How to handle those key transitions where water, plants and earth come together can be tricky, especially if you don’t plan ahead for the presence of planting pockets. This simple detail offers a clean and easy way to manage those visual and functional transitions. ...
Beholding a Concrete Stream
Appreciating water doesn’t always require sweeping ocean vistas or cascading streams, explains writer and naturalist, Jamie Nestor. As he points out in this personal essay, the beauty and fascination of aquatic environments sometimes exist in surprising places, but can be no less inspiring. ...
Informed Vigilance
Are dark clouds gathering on the economic horizon? Many people think so, and are feeling that way with growing frequency and deepening levels of concern. As Eric Herman points out, based on past experience in periods of looming financial strife, this is the time to plan for a changing business landscape. ...
Beaver Believers
Beavers are among the most industrious and environmentally impactful animals on earth. Perhaps second only to humans, beavers are born to control their environment, and they are extremely good at it. One might even say, beavers are nature’s watershapers. ...
In Service of Otters
Aquascape’s Ed Beaulieu designed and installed a unique Otter Pond for Blake’s Exotic Animal Ranch near Southwest Ranches, Fla. The project included a constructed wetland filter and rainwater harvesting system designed to boost filtration for animal use and conserve water – and a viewing area where visitors get up close and personal with the playful residents.   ...
Admiring Japanese Garden Design
The tradition of Japanese Gardening has been inspiring designers for centuries. As Eric Herman points out, it’s equal parts philosophy and technique that is aimed at representing and celebrating nature – a set of ideas and disciplines that can deeply influence watershapers who take time to explore these spaces with an open mind and an open heart. ...
Understanding Aquaponics
As drought increases in frequency and severity, all the while the demand for affordable food sources rise with growing populations, the need for efficient farming practices becomes ever more urgent. One technique, aquaponics, might just be part of the answer, and could be a possible growth opportunity for watershapers. ...