This incredible pond and waterfall set up By Modern Design Aquascaping in the US, recently won a national Water Artisans of the Year Award for Most Naturalistic Water Feature.

In this video you can really see what can be achieved when you put your heart and soul into a pond build. Of course this kind of project might be beyond the scope or means of most of us but it’s still great to see what the professionals can do.

Although the award was for Most Naturalistic Water Feature, as one of the judges speaking in the video says – it’s really about the whole pond and how this is the most naturalistic pond and feature that he’s ever seen. He even states that the pond is “…better in my eyes than mother nature.” He then actually even gets quite emotional and starts to tear up. It’s great to see the passion that so many pond builders have for their craft.

The pond features an intake area where all the pumps and other equipment are located which also doubles as a large skimmer. At 20,000 gallons it’s a great size and as you’ll see in the video happily houses some gorgeous koi.

It’s an amazing pond with rare features like interaction areas and fish caves, where the fish can hide away from predators or other stressful situations. The pond’s creators highlight the multitude of miniature falls, as the clincher for them winning the most naturalistic award.

Instead of using 1 huge pump the construction uses 5 smaller eco pumps, which not only saves energy but also helps create the multiple mini waterfalls dotted around the pond.

This pond uses an ‘Up-flow Wetland Filter’ system, which works in a similar way to an under gravel filter in an aquarium. It’s an approach that seeks to mimic the kind of filtration that occurs in nature. Ponds are well known for their soothing qualities from the sounds of cascading water and this pond certainly makes great use of that effect. There are also carefully placed LED lights that try to create a dancing firelight effect.

Finally there are finishing touches like natural driftwood, marginal plants and even some carnivorous plants, making this a truly unique pond that we think is well worthy of the award it’s won.