Rusted steel columns and spillways in stone
Steel Water Features
Modern water features in rusted steel: three columns at different heights bubbling into a boulder basin, and a steel spillway pouring into a rock stream — both lit to glow at night.
The photos on this page come from several different yards of this kind across the Salt Lake Valley.
The situation
What the owners wanted.
These photos show a few steel water features, including a front garden beside a paver driveway, a backyard stream along a block wall, and one commercial courtyard.
The owners wanted the sound and movement of water, but with a cleaner, more modern look than a traditional boulder waterfall.
What we used — and why
Every piece has a reason.
- 1
Corten steel water columns
Each column fills and sheets water down its sides into the basin. The rusted steel looks warm next to stone and plants, and it never needs painting.
- 2
A steel spillway into a rock stream
A single steel spout pouring into a stream bed gives you the sound of a waterfall in a much smaller space — ideal along a side yard or wall.
- 3
Hidden water storage under the rock
The water drains to a basin under the stones and is pumped back up. There's no open pond, so there's nothing to skim, no standing water and nothing for mosquitoes.
- 4
Boulders and river rock
Natural stone around the steel softens the modern shapes and gives the water something to splash over, which is where the sound comes from.
- 5
Lights in the basin
Lighting the columns from below makes them glow after dark, so the feature becomes the focal point of the yard at night.
Utah weather
Why a pondless design suits Utah
Open ponds lose a lot of water to evaporation in our dry, sunny summers. Storing the water underground beneath the rock, and only letting it show where it pours from the steel, means much less surface area exposed to the sun and wind — and less topping off for you.
The same design is easier to look after through a Salt Lake winter. With no open pond to freeze and crack, the system is simply drained or shut down for the cold months and started again in spring.
Corten steel handles all of it: summer sun, winter snow and our hard water, which it hides far better than smooth stone or painted metal would.
Is this right for you?
A great fit for…
- Owners of modern homes who want a water feature that matches.
- Small yards, side yards and courtyards where a full waterfall won't fit.
- Front yards where you want something striking by the entry or driveway.
- Anyone who wants the sound of water with very little upkeep.
Good to know
The honest details.
Like any water feature, these need power for the pump and an occasional top-off in summer.
Steel columns are built to size, so height, number and finish are all up to you.
Every yard is different. We build these across Riverton, Herriman, South Jordan, Draper, Bluffdale and the rest of the Salt Lake Valley, and the best way to know what yours needs — and what it will cost — is to have Jason walk it with you. Call 801-608-7207 for a free estimate.
Photos
The finished work.
Tap any photo to see it full size.
Free estimate
Let’s walk your yard together.
Call and tell us what you have in mind. Jason will come out, walk the property with you, and give you a written estimate — free, with no obligation.
Mon–Fri · 8:00–5:00 · Riverton, Utah · Licensed & insured