WoW! I really appreciate everyone's comments! Whoda thunk this would still be going on a year later?! Eggiesmon, the creek is about 3-4 feet wide for the hardscape, more for the plantings. It drops about 18" over the length of the pond, so not enough to have a real waterfall, but enough to allow the water to pick up a little speed and splash a bit on the way down. Ilovemygarden, I didn't do anything special over the winter. Also, I didn't run the stream pump, for various reasons (freezing, debris, cost, etc.) but I had a smaller pump that I put in the pond that just circulated the water in the pond and kept the top from freezing. It was a bit of a chore to get it all cleaned up this spring, with all of the leaves and dirt that settled in it over the winter. If I ultimately redo the pond at the bottom (which is just a small pre-form now) I'm going to put in a skimmer filter and a particle filter. Right now I'm relying solely upon the bio thingy's in the water and the plants. The water is very clear, but if I stir gunk up from the bottom, it just resettles again because it has nowhere to go. The sides of the creek are not very high -- at all. In fact, there are some areas where it really should be higher. It really depends upon how much water you flow through it. I think my pump is a 2000gph. It's a sump pump, if that sounds right. In any case, it flows pretty good, so there's quite a bit of water. Less water would flow less deep, so the sides wouldn't have to be as tall. If you're looking to put one in, I would suggest that you lay down plastic first (just the soft, cheap, clear stuff.) and run the pump. This will allow you to see how the water flows, how deep it flows, where it pools, etc. You can set large rocks temporarily to help with your vision. You may even decide you want a larger or smaller pump. The test won't be perfect, but it's a quick and simple experiment without the concrete work and commitment. (Oh, and the peat ratio I used was probably less than 20%, best guess.) Keep in mind, the higher the walls, the less water you'll see from farther away -- you'll actually have to be above the creek to see it, so I wouldn't recommend any higher than necessary. If I were to do one thing different, I would like to TRY adding more of the river gravel to the top of the concrete, before it dried as much as it did. I say try, because it may not work, as the gravel might just loosen easily. My reason for wanting to do this is that I like the look of the river gravel, so I've added additional loose gravel to the stream. Unfortunately, it makes it more difficult to clean. I would love to have access to the mix they use for resurfacing patios, but I've heard it to be extemely toxic so probably not good for fish. I think I've answered most everyone's questions, either in this post or via email directly. If there are any other questions, I'd be happy to help. Thx everyone! Sheri

I love all your water features. The mosquitoes don't carry you away do they? I like that $50 fountain your husband found too. Kind of formal but still very pretty and one heck of a buy. I really had to laugh at your ants are my friend post. lol! The things kids come up with!

I was reminded about the drill's tendency to blow through when I had to drill a hole through my block foundation - the block was fine, the stucco covering was decidedly not, lol. When drilling a hole in a piece of wood, you need to place a piece of sacrificial wood on the backside in order to get a clean hole without any splintering (there are ways and drill types that prevent this, of course) - I would think that using something like a brick on the backside would go a long way towards preventing any excess damage. Totally preventing it would be a long-shot, but it could help. Masonry twist drills are not meant for any precision / delicate work, which is the root of the problem in this case. Yea, I had totally glossed over that part of the OP's post. I saw where Sandy had suggested the multimeter and kinda ran with it (as I'm wont to do sometimes). Though now that I think about it, how is the pot going to be used? Is it going to be standing straight up and have the water cascade down the sides, or will it be laying down on its side and look like it's pouring water? The answer to this will go a long way in figuring out the best type of hole to drill - cause you'll have to think about how to plug the hole afterwards so that it will hold water (or at least prevent a huge leak). Drilling a small hole large enough for just the cord could be sealed up with some silicone caulk, while having a hole large enough for the plug as well would need something like a rubber plug or something else to fill the opening. Yet another aspect to consider. - Mike

That's pretty cool! You did a terrific job on the tufa grinding wheel fountain project. Sorry I have no water feature or pics to share, but I sure am enjoying yours! :-) Deb