Pond Waterfalls

What are pond waterfall spillways?

Pond waterfall spillways are decorative water features that provide a natural-looking flow of water that mimics real-life waterfalls. Pond waterfalls look great by themselves or combine multiple spillways to create an artificial stream in your own backyard.

How do waterfall spillways work?

Waterfall spillways are the final step in your pond’s filtration process. After passing through your pond skimmer and UV pond filter, the water returns to the pond via the spillway. Many waterfalls also have a built-in reservoir to hold biological filter media. As the filtered water passes through the beneficial bacteria, they eat up harmful algae and nitrates. Finally, the clean water in the reservoir flows out of the wide mouth opening as a beautiful waterfall.

Even if it doesn’t have a reservoir, all spillways have some way to convert the higher pressure water into an even flow. No matter what type of pond waterfall you choose, it’s important to pair it with the proper pond pump. You want to make sure your pump has enough head pressure to push the water to your spillway. However, it shouldn’t be so strong that the water flows out too fast. Also, remember that your pump has to work harder to push water up a grade, so the higher the waterfall is, the harder your pump needs to work. Read our Tips for Choosing the Proper Pond Pump to help you pick the best pump for your pond waterfall.

Pond Waterfall Spillway

When looking for a pond waterfall spillway, we recommend one with a built-in reservoir like the Aquascape Biofalls. The more plants and fish you have, the more filtration you will need. This is easier to achieve on a spillway with a reservoir because you can add bio-filtration. 

Besides housing extra filter media, waterfalls with a reservoir are easier to clean. Most feature an easy-open top to make frequent cleaning a breeze. We also don’t recommend covering them with heavy rocks to make accessing the inside simple. You’ll come to appreciate reservoir spillways if you have a lot of fish since frequent cleanings are easier.

Pondless waterfall spillway

These units feature a direct feed from the pump to the spillway without a reservoir. They have an internal design that slows down the pressure and turns it into a smooth, consistent, leak-free water flow. Because of the solid enclosed design, these units are easily camouflaged with rocks, branches, or other decorations. They are perfect for pondless water displays, or as extra waterfalls for your pond. Combine these spillways for a beautiful cascading waterfall display, or add them around your pond for extra aeration.