Stream and Bridge




Material
  • Bagged concrete mix
  • Cement colouring - terracotta
  • Concrete / paver sealer
  • Black poly sheeting
  • Chicken wire 
  • Smoothed river stone
  • Treated pine
  • Aluminium 90 deg. angled strip
  • Drinking bubbler and tap fittings
  • Reticulation piping
  • 12V electrical cable
  • Outdoor 12V transformer
  • 12V boat bilge pump
  • 12V boat float bilge switch 
  • Manual bilge pump
Bubbler
I had a plumber fit a new tap and bubbler at the beginning of the stream, and a new tap nearer to the grass for the hose.  Now any unused water from a drink or the tap can flow into the stream.
Stream
I ran reticulation piping the length of the stream to be used to return water back to the beginning from the end collection point.  I also ran electrical cabling to carry the 12V to the bilge pump.

I then shaped the stream bed as desired, forming lips around the edge.  I ran water through the bed to ensure one end was high then the other.

I concreted in two perm-a-poles to support the bridge.

Next I covered the bed with black poly sheeting and then laid chicken wire on top.

I used 7 bags of concrete mix to construct the creek.  I mixed in terracotta concrete colouring powder to get a more natural colour.  I also pressed smoothed river stones into the concrete.

Once the cement was dry I painted it over with concrete / paving sealer.

Bridge
As both ends of the land are higher than the creek the bridge is made flat with side support beams and decking boards running across.  The sides are supported with strips of angled aluminium.

Return Flow
The water flows into the existing creek that I had made previously.  I installed a 12V boat bilge pump and float switch in a container underground to pump the water back through a pipe to the beginning of the stream.

Bridge Soaker
I installed a manual bilge pump.  When the kids pump the handle the pump takes fresh water from a bucket and pumps it up over head through reticulation piping.  The water then showers down over the bridge and creek through holes I drilled into the piping.


Play Time

More Project Ideas
For further play ideas see the Creek and Water Storage page.
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