When southern California landscape company The Green Scene was hired to develop a waterscape for the Babb residence in Calabasas, California, president Scott Cohen says the challenge was to create a rustic backyard in the middle of a desert on an up-slope lawn.

The end result featured a natural looking waterfall and a faux wood poured-in-place concrete bridge. "We used an acid-based concrete stain and Styrofoam forms to create recesses and enhance the bridge's realistic wood-plank appearance," Cohen says.

Waterfalls are gaining popularity among homeowners who are looking to bring a touch of nature to their backyards, jazz up an in-ground pool or spa, or add a unique element to outdoor entertaining.

However, contractors interested in diving in should know that waterfall installations are not simple projects.

A multi-level waterfall spills into several spillways as it cascades toward a pool. The cast concrete bridge was stamped to look like it was made from wood planks. Colorful plants were used to soften the hardscaped areas.

Several items and factors need to be addressed when designing a water feature for a setting, says Paul Gustafson. The scale of the feature within its surroundings, whether or not it is designed as a focal point or creating atmosphere in the fore or background, the line of sight and desired viewpoints of the feature, as well as the size, style and color of the rockwork all need to be considered," he says.

"Climate has to be considered as well," he says. "A water feature built in a colder climate has to be designed with winter in mind. If designed properly, some features can be run all year long, with the freezing temperatures of winter creating a unique and dramatic visual of ice and rock."

Waterfalls aren't just about visual beauty either — they have an aural component." The sound and noise level of the water itself is often overlooked when designing a water feature," Gustafson says. "The sounds emanating from a water feature can vary from a soothing trickle to a deafening roar that can enhance and create drama or overshadow the desired effect."

That's why the most essential step when designing and fabricating a water feature is meeting with the client to establish clear-cut design ideas and budgets, Gustafson says. "The key to any successful project is planning."

Too often, homeowners will point to the corner of the backyard and say they want the waterfall there, says Jim Jenkins of Synthetic Rock Solutions in Sheridan, OR. He remembers one client who thought that a waterfall should be installed in the back corner of his property because when he sat on his deck, that was the part of the yard he saw. However, Jenkins soon learned, the client rarely sat on his back deck. Instead the installer put the waterfall at a spot in the yard where it could be seen from the man's favorite chair inside the house, where he spent more time.

In general, the waterscape should be situated in the yard so it can easily be viewed through a window, especially from the most used room in the house, Jenkins says. "The idea is to bring the landscape into your home via the window."