Drainage Improvements

Something we've been working with for some time... Drainage issues... Bleh....

So about two months ago we had a contractor come in and look at the property and give us some advice. The plan was to divide the water coming down from the upper property so that it doesn't just sit at the house. Now some of the water goes down the other side of the driveway to a culvert. The culvert goes past our little parking lot and down to the drainage ditch at the street.

The rest of it flows under the deck and out past the retaining wall. One thing I have noticed during the bigger storms we've had.... there is definitely less erosion going on.  Maybe a combination of the drainage work and all seed and fertilizer we spread? It seems like getting grass going up there to hold the land in place was a good idea. Also, during a rain storm, I do see less red mud coming down the hill. The water flowing to the driveway is mostly clear, and that is good news.

We added this little cascade of rocks just where the erosion was the worst. During a bad storm we never see water anymore. we know it just flows past the deck and down to the lower yard.  The final bit was rock around the lower deck, and a rock drainage area for the water coming down the downspout from the gutter.

This video shows the progression of water coming from the upper lot, at the moment it collects enough to start flowing like a little stream.

Here's a closeup of the rock waterfall. I really like the way it turned out. I'm collecting rocks still to add to it. Plenty of rocks on the farm!