About the Company

Here at AWM, we've been installing and maintaining water features in Grand Rapids, Michigan as a Certified Aquascape Contractor for over 15 years. We are experts in backyard ponds, pondless waterfalls, fountains, and more.  In 2017 we earned our Master CAC certification, the highest skill designation awarded by Aquascape. This means not only are we recognized as being the best of the best by our peers, but we've also gone through rigorous training in the best practices for building water features by the leader in the industry. If you decide to hire us to make the water feature of your dreams, here is the process that you can expect to see over the course of the project...

Design

Planning each one of our water features begins with the initial consultation. During the consultation, we assess the site and speak with you about your hopes for the water feature. Important questions are answered such as: How much sound would you like from the waterfall? It there road-noise to drown out? Do you want fish? If so, how many/how big? How much sun exposure does the build area get throughout the day? Would you like bird-bathing areas? How much maintenance are you willing to do? All of these details help us plan out a water feature that perfectly fits your landscape, your needs, and the needs of the ecosystem we hope to create for you.

Build

Our unique style of building is what makes AWM stand apart. We start by excavating the site, which involves digging out the pond or pondless reservoir and setting the shelves for the waterfall. After installing the liner and protective underlayment, we begin setting rocks on the shelves and fitting them together like puzzle pieces. Our builders have spent years perfecting their abilities to place rocks in the most natural-looking and most stable positions possible. This gives your water feature the appearance of having been there for decades or even centuries. Lastly, we use a special process to lock all our rocks into place so that a full grown man can walk on them with no fear of collapse. Especially important for the safety of children to play in. In the end, what you get is an expertly built water feature capable of supporting its own ecosystem and remaining a beautiful focal point in your yard for your lifetime.

Preserve

​Even though all of our water features are designed to be as self-sustaining as possible, there are certain steps that have to be taken to maintain that natural beauty. This is different depending on which type and what size of water feature you have. With pondless waterfalls and fountains, it's as simple as pulling debris out of the gravel bed and pumping out the basin once a year. With ponds, you want to empty the skimmer net about once per week and rinse the mats when needed (it also helps to pluck leaves off of the bottom when you see them). Generally, for any water feature, you need to do a spring cleaning where you remove as much organic waste (muck) as possible from the system. Luckily, if you don't want to mess with this we can do it for you. We offer different levels of maintenance packages from spring cleanings, where we drain and power-wash everything to give you a fresh start at the beginning of the year, to weekly or bi-weekly maintenance stops, where we stop by to perform water testing, clean the skimmer net, remove debris and add the necessary bacteria and algaecide treatments to keep your water feature looking perfect all season long.