Lion Landscape Takes Pride in its Work

Photos courtesy of Lion Landscape

This is the biggest water feature we have ever done, and it shows off the incredible talents of our water feature designer and builders," said Jack Du Lin, president of Lion Landscape Lighting, Ponds & Waterfalls in Palatka, Fla. Du Lin's company responded to the request of Michael G. Holder Inc., the general contractor for the Amenity Area of Rolling Hills Development in Middleburg, Fla.

Originally, the general contractor arranged for a sub-contractor to build the water feature and stream, but quickly realized that the sub-contractor could not handle the logistics of a project of such magnitude. After several meetings and reviewing the plans in detail, Du Lin, a Certified Aquascape Contractor, accepted the project. The first item on the agenda called for the 4-man crew to fill in the rough cut work already done and restart the project from scratch.

The designer, Dan Lee, envisioned a 150-foot-stream situated on the steep, narrow strip of land bordered by a road on one side and a sharp drop-off on the other. "It was nice to have a project located on a slope," Du Lin said. "Most locations in Florida are on flat land, so to work with a water feature that naturally flowed downhill was a plus."

Consequently, the first design consideration required a way to manage the water speed so rapid currents would not wash everything downstream. Du Lin's crew accomplished this by feeding the stream from two separate waterfalls, and then using two ponds to catch and slow down the flow to manageable levels.

This resulted in a water stream that flows onto a bed of rocks covering a reservoir built with EPDM liner and ACF rain tanks. The crew sized the reservoir to hold twice the volume of water in the stream and ponds as a preventative measure in case a power outage shut off the pumps and to harvest rainwater to keep the system full without drawing from the local water supply.

The reservoir size, the limited work space and the area's shallow water table posed potential flotation problems. To keep the reservoir from dislodging from the ground during heavy rain, the crew installed a pressure relief system underneath it to dissipate the upward pressure of rising ground water and vent it safely away.

The original plans called for a wooden bridge to cross over the middle of the stream. Du Lin recommended using a 3,000 pound flat piece of field stone instead. This required a considerable amount of ground prep to ensure that the bridge would stay in place at all times.

"His company did a very professional job in helping us to design and install the project," Holder said. "The end product turned out perfect. My client loved it. ... It really turned out well."

 Give us your opinion on
Lion Landscape Takes Pride in its Work

Industry Professional Site: Comments from non-industry professionals will be removed.