Hey Folks! I admit to being dumb but not that dumb. I knew there was a
hole under that dirt the whole time. And what is top soil? We have
groundhog shale.

..I will try to describe the situation. I have a hole in the ground chopped
out of mostly shale by a backhoe. The mixture of soil (clay) and shale is
piled at one corner of the hole (not in the pond but outside the pond at
one of the corners. I estimate the pile to be about 4 feet high.

In order to have a waterfall, this pile of groundhog shale must be
contoured. A watercourse must be dug out. And if you are to have cascades
as do most waterfalls, the steps in the cascade must be dug out and shaped.

One can either start digging at the top of the pile to form the waterfall
course, or you can start at the bottom of the pile.

Are you with me so far?

Groundhog shale is difficult work with. Even though that pile has been
lambasted by the elements (rain, snow, sleet, hail) since last fall, when
one hits it with a mattock it tends to crumble and lose shape. It doesn't
compact like clay or top soil (whatever that is). One cannot use a shovel
to dig in it without loosening it some with a maddock and once it's
loosened......

Anyway, I started yesterday and I started at the bottom. Not the bottom of
the pond, mind you. Even dumb me knows better that. I started from the
bottom of the pile which is outside of the pond.

I think I will probably have to use some concrete block in order to keep
things from shifting too much.

Well, thanks a lot any way. All I asked was did one start at the top or the
bottom. Never did get a civilized answer.




"pixi" wrote in message
...
I am sure you experts w ill consider this a very stupid question. But
where do you start digging the waterfall? From the top or the bottom?
Thank you.