Natural Swimming Pools

Dear Jeff,
My wife and I live in a heavily wooded area near Buffalo Bayou here in Houston. We are fortunate enough to have a blend of open space and clusters of large, stately trees. The ground tends to slope downward toward the tree line near the bayou. We have long wanted a swimming pool, but do not want to destroy the natural beauty of our yard—nor do we want any trees harmed. We read about your policy of tree protection and wondered if there is anything you can recommend in terms of maybe a natural swimming pool, if indeed such a thing exists.

Sincerely,

Tim LoeweHouston, TX

Dear Tim,
Good news, Tim. There is such a thing as a natural swimming pool. In fact, we recently built one in a neighborhood which appears to be very near your own. It too was very heavily wooded, and featured a natural ravine that ran through the property behind the home. The family that lived there wanted us to install an outdoor patio with an accompanying fire pit, and they wanted a natural swimming pool big enough for both adults and children to swim in.

We took advantage of the natural grade of the property and transformed a standing fountain to look like a natural waterfall. We concealed the pumps and equipment in a remote location removed from the actual waterfall, so that all you could hear was the sound of the water. Following the natural grade of the earth, we then dug out an oblong basin. We varied it in degrees of depth ranging up to six feet in the middle, and then directed the flow of the water into this basin. This formed a natural swimming pool, which the natural force of gravity kept full of water at all times.

Originally, the fountain had looked more like a waterfall coming down off a sheer cliff. Now, the waterfall was more staggered and flowing over rocks, giving it the appearance of a waterfall in a river that pours over boulders into a deeper, calmer pool beneath the rapids. Everything looked pristine and natural in the end, so much that children and guests swimming in this new pool could actually imagine themselves in a Rocky Mountain River.
In order to make the natural swimming pool comfortable and accessible any time of year or night, we installed heating and lighting in basin. We use two types of lighting to achieve two complimentary effects. To light the plant life around the waterfall, we used mercury vapor down lights to bring out the rich green colors of leaves and stems. To enhance the brown colors of the rocks, and to bring a sparkling luminance out of the water itself, we used incandescent, underwater uplights. These luminaires were GFIC protected to make the new natural swimming pool perfectly safe for humans, pets, and wildlife.

Natural swimming pools like the one we did in Memorial are a great way to preserve the indigenous vegetation and beauty of your back yard. We will be happy to arrange a time to come out to your residence and see specifically what natural features could be used to build a natural swimming pool like this for you. Please call us to set up a time to meet.