How Do You Build Dry Creek Beds For Landscape Drainage?
Do you have a slope on your property down which excess water flows, causing erosion on the slope and/or a landscape drainage problem below? Homeowners often get rid of such puddling by building dry creek beds. Besides the practical aspect of improving landscape drainage, dry creek beds can also be attractive. In fact, some folks with absolutely no landscape drainage problems build dry creek beds just because they like the look of them! Difficulty: AverageTime Required: 4 hours/10 feetHere’s How: • First plan the course that the dry creek bed will take down the slope. Mark the 2 edges of that course with landscaper’s paint. A meandering course looks more natural than a straight course. How high up the slope should you start? In some cases, there’s little choice. For instance, if a landscape drainage pipe that’s already in place is dumping all that excess water onto your property, your decision is clear-cut: begin the dry creek bed by
Sloping property often has drainage problems. Erosion and landscape damage often occur but can be corrected by adding a dry creek bed for excess water to escape. A dry creek bed is attractive and adds the ambiance of a rushing stream, even without water. Here is how to build a dry creek bed for landscape drainage. Step 1 Plan the course of the dry creek bed. Outline the shape with a garden hose. Create gentle curves and turns that resemble a meandering stream. Redirect the bottom of the stream away from the property for proper drainage. Step 2 Dig the outline using a shovel and make sure the creek bed is slightly deeper in the middle. Use the soil to build up mounds along the sides of the dry creek bed. Tamp the soil down with a tamping tool. Dry creek beds are usually about 3 feet wide and 1 1/2 inches deep. Step 3 Lay landscape fabric in the creek bed to keep weeds from growing. Don’t get any of the dirt on the fabric. Place the large boulders here and there along the sides of the cr
