Step 3
Construct a Creek Bed
A creek bed like this can channel water away from a low spot or direct runoff into a rain garden or dry well. With the right landscaping, the creek bed will look good even when it’s dry. You can solve drainage problems and create an attractive landscape feature at the same time with a dry creek bed. Build a creek bed to direct water away from a low spot in your yard. Or if the slope of the ground permits it, use a creek bed to drain a low spot.
Start by making a swale-essentially a gentle, shallow drainage ditch. Then line it with gravel or stones and add interest with boulders, a bridge or plantings.
Of course, you don’t have to turn your drainage project into a creek bed. A simple swale is an effective and subtle way to control surface water. Obviously, it’s easier to create a swale before you seed or sod your yard, but if necessary, you can cut out the grass with a sod cutter and replace it when you’re done regrading.
How to Build a Rain Garden in Your Yard
Step 4
Build a Rain Garden
If you have a low spot in your yard that tends to collect and retain water, consider building a rain garden. A rain garden is simply an area of your yard that’s designed to catch water and is filled with water-loving plants. It doesn’t really solve a soggy yard problem, but a rain garden looks a lot better than a muddy hole. Plus, rain gardens are good for the environment. They reduce runoff and the lawn chemicals, pet waste and sediment that go along with it.
A rain garden doesn’t have to hold water like a pond. You can add drainage and use the rain garden to hold the excess water until it has a chance to drain away. A key part of rain garden design is choosing the right plants for the soil conditions. Typically native plants with deep fibrous roots work well. Learn more about how to build a rain garden in your yard.
Add an Underground Drainage Pipe
One of the best ways to get rid of water from a low spot is to simply drain it away through an underground drainage pipe. For this to work, you need an area to discharge the water that’s lower than the inlet. The underground drainage pipe should slope downhill at least 1/8 in. per foot. If you had a discharge outlet 100 ft. from the inlet, it would have to be about 1 ft. lower.
To create the drain, you’ll have to dig a gradually sloping trench from the source to the outlet. Then bury a plastic catch basin at the source and connect it to the discharge with PVC drainpipe. This system has a few advantages over a French drain (see p. 46). Since the pipe is solid, and not perforated, there’s no need to provide gravel for drainage along the length of the drainpipe. Also, smooth-wall pipe drains water quickly, and if it gets clogged, you can use a drain snake to clean it out.
Drainpipe discharge: The discharge end of your drainpipe can be connected to pop up yard drain emitter that sits flush to the lawn when no water is flowing.Drainpipe inlet: Position the inlet catch basin at the low spot of your soggy area. The grate will sit flush to the lawn for easy mowing.
19 Crazy Cool Backyard Putting Greens
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