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Message
How would you solve rain runoff coming across your property?
Posted on 6/3/25 at 9:30 pm
Posted on 6/3/25 at 9:30 pm
Kinda hard to explain but the land our house is on is sloped from the left to the right. The other lots are all wooded, no houses at all other than mine on this side of the street. My yard doesn’t flood, but when it rains hard we get a few inches of runoff for a couple hours. Basically the back yard turns into a shallow river. There is a creek behind the house that would make a perfect place to steer the water into but it would be a massive job to do whatever needs to be done to divert it to that creek. I have a very low area in the back yard but I don’t want to fill this until I figure out how to divert the water because I’m afraid if the water can’t use this low spot as part of his path it will run closer to the house. I should also mention that my 12x24 shed is smack in the middle of the runoff path. It’s raised about 10” off the ground on concrete footers but I’d like it to not be bombarded with this little river. The area on the ‘upstream’ side of the shed is wooded and the area on the other side is lawn. I’m fully aware that this might be a job too big to bother with but just wondering if there’s an easy-ish solution.
Posted on 6/3/25 at 9:48 pm to VanRIch
how big is your lot? Do you have a topo survey?
Posted on 6/4/25 at 6:36 am to VanRIch
I have plenty of experience with this in both houses I’ve owned.
-Dig slight swale directing water where you want.
-create a low stone wall that directs water (I used chop rock and planted ground cover all along it)
-Use landscape timbers or railroad ties to direct water
-Insert drainage wells into select low spots to capture water.
-Find the source of water at the farthest edge of your property, insert a catch basin, then direct an outlet with buried pipe of choice
-Dig slight swale directing water where you want.
-create a low stone wall that directs water (I used chop rock and planted ground cover all along it)
-Use landscape timbers or railroad ties to direct water
-Insert drainage wells into select low spots to capture water.
-Find the source of water at the farthest edge of your property, insert a catch basin, then direct an outlet with buried pipe of choice
Posted on 6/4/25 at 6:47 am to cgrand
1.75 acres
I don’t think a French drain would work in this situation
Thanks Lsufan, I’ll explore these options.
I don’t think a French drain would work in this situation
Thanks Lsufan, I’ll explore these options.
Posted on 6/4/25 at 8:21 am to VanRIch
Tough to say without visuals. Landscaping? Some taller grasses can slow down and soak up some of that water.
Posted on 6/4/25 at 8:29 am to VanRIch
LSUfan's advice is very good. My experience with standing water in backyard is developers mindlessly create barriers to the natural drainage during initial lot grading. A ridge just 2" tall between you and a creek can cause a lot of problems. Swales that cut across higher ground are your first and cheapest option. Just make the swale wide enough that a lawnmower doesn't hang in it. Catch basins and buried 6" pipe is great if there is a lower area for discharge. French drains are very popular, but the ones around me seem to do nothing. Now is the time to fix things, while adjacent lots are undeveloped.
Posted on 6/4/25 at 8:39 am to Tree_Fall
quote:no doubt, but he needs to know grade elevations beforehand and not just eyeball it
Now is the time to fix things, while adjacent lots are undeveloped.
Posted on 6/4/25 at 11:48 am to cgrand
We own the two wooded lots on the upstream side. It was actually brush cut a couple years ago. I keep up with it so it’s just mature trees and leaf cover. Probably some reason we have this issue now but I wanted to have it cleared out for our dog to run around and my son rides his go-kart in there. So I have plenty of room to do a swale or something.
Posted on 6/5/25 at 11:14 am to VanRIch
Dam it. Let neighbor keep their water.
Posted on 6/5/25 at 11:16 am to VanRIch
quote:
The other lots are all wooded,
I would start bringing fill in now before houses are built. You will inevitably have bigger issues down the road once those lots are cleared, filled in and houses built.
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