End of the Endless Summer
The lives of beach bums, surfer girls and hodads everywhere have become less comfortable in recent years, observes Eric Herman. In fact, the summer of 2023 might stand as the most unpleasant beach season ever, and one that sadly concluded with the passing of summer's high priest, Jimmy Buffett.  ...
Essential Connections
While our innate need to be in the presence of water, and have constant access to it is both philosophical and biological, Kevin Woodhurst argues it is also practical from a business perspective. Not only essential for survival, as the desire for water is the primary factor underpinning the existence of the watershaping industry, and arguably modern civilization itself. ...
Fine Points: Pipes in Trenches
In this first installment of our new series exploring the “fine points” of watershape construction, Kevin Cobabe gets down to basics about running multiple pipes in trenches. As simple as it seems, he says, there are a handful of key issues that are important to keep top of mind when working beneath your feet. ...
The Hidden Wonder of Abiqua Creek
Time spent in the company of natural waters can become an obsession, and those experiences can fuel the creative spirit with inspiration and endless “design” ideas. Here Eric Herman recalls a day trip to a place in Oregon that stands as a perfect example of the serendipity of days devoed to seeking hidden wonders. ...
Pool Algae Prevention
Algae are a class of organisms that are essential to life on earth. In a swimming pool, however, they become an affliction that compromises water quality and consumes chemicals. According to Haviland’s Kevin Vlietstra, although there’s an inevitable quality to algae, prevention is always the best treatment option.    ...
Oceans of Therapy
While most people are familiar with the pleasure and excitement of time spent in the company of seas and oceans, far fewer are aware that seawater and its constituents have a long history of specific therapeutic benefits, and have led to an entire category of luxurious and healthful spa treatments – with a very fancy name. ...
Understanding Colloidal Silicates
Products based on colloidal silicates have been used for decades as a way to increase the strength of concrete and other cementitious materials. Now being marketed as a way to stave off common plaster problems in swimming pools, it’s helpful to take a clear look at what these products can and cannot do. ...
Restoration at ‘Earth Speed’
Healing troubled bodies of water is an opportunity to make a positive impact on both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, explains Ed Beaulieu, and elevate the human experience in the process. Using this project as a prime example, a set of ponds owned by an A-list celebrity and activist was transformed from a morbid state of deterioration to a vibrant ecological asset. ...
Essential Digital Modeling
There is no question the bar for visual presentations has been raised dramatically in recent years. 3D modeling programs have transformed the way that watershape and landscape designs are created and sold. That’s why Watershape University is offering a new course aimed at elevating digital presentation skillsets. ...
Feeding Lake Mead
Managing water levels and flow through rivers systems and reservoirs might rightly be considered watershaping on the grandest possible scale. That unique skillset has come into play in a big way recently as refreshened water resources are distributed through drought-worn Colorado River system. ...