How to stop water drainage from nieghbors property?
During rainstorms here in NC an incredible amount of water flows into my property from the adjoining neighbors yard. With the soil being heavy clay there is not much to slow it down causing the water to erode the soil on my property, wash away any attempt at seeding for grass, flushes out all nutrients and drowns my trees. I have pondered digging an 8-12in deep by 6-8inch wide ditch down the fence line then laying down heavy plastic and lastly filling with gravel such as crush N run. Any other ideas out there? If this is the appropriate route, will landscape fabric be a better choice than plastic and why? I'm also concerned with longevity of this approach as the amount of water would be sure to erode the side of the ditch. Thank you in advance.
Comments (10)
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Drainage with high water table
Comments (14)Last year Arkansas got a record 80+ inches of rain, normal average is around 45. Arkansas is a national leader in rice production. Land along the Arkansas River and other areas in the eastern delta region often have slopes of less than 1%. Rich silt typically overlies a more sandy layer at some depth. There will be both surface flows and lateral subsurface flows. The elevation of the water table can be influenced by the geology, which is different for the western and eastern areas, the transition occurring at Little Rock. Along the Arkansas River, it also matters if the land is near one of the navigation pools. West of Little Rock, the deep underling rock is Ouchita shale which is non- permeable with no aquifer to absorb water. The lateral movement of water can result in a water table along rivers that has little seasonable change in elevation. East of Little Rock, lies the Sparta Sand aquifer which has seen reduced water elevations due to crop irrigation. Here ground water is influenced by rainfall and seasonable agricultural use in the vicinity. The water table may tend to vary through the season. An exception to this variation might occur in areas near the navigational pools above the locks on the river on low lying land. Because of the lateral subsurface movement of water in these soils, the water table exists at a uniform level across wide areas and changing it is not economically possible. For small areas, it is probably best to raise the soil level above the water table with fill and give close attention to discharging as much water as possible though surface flows. With flat ground of less than 1% slope and no lower area to accept a discharge, precise grading is indicated. Subsurface drainage systems are almost sure to be a waste of money in this situation. Begin with a base map of the property with good elevation data and notes on any change in the soil profile to a depth of three feet. The elevation of the water table should be determined in several locations by the same method used to determine ground elevation. I would think long and hard before installing a pond. Not only is there the problem with mosquitoes, but this type habitat near the river is almost sure have snakes, one of which will be the venomous cottonmouth....See MoreHow do you feel about nieghbors spraying?
Comments (30)See im on the other side but.ima jerk because its been like 5 years and our house is infested w every bug that I know them all from meely, silverfish, earwigs, lacewigs, spring tails. Never did before but know em now because i see them constantly near me all times of year, anytime i look. I am sensitive to energy but still its ridiculous. Mice. Flies like u wont believe. I have an indoor zapper and the rats... they are some brazen sob. See i dont care about laws or anything like that but i will do my homework and be respectful to make sure what I put on their nasty garden is safe... Its grandules and idk if they are organic...im anti pest so we both been compromised, far as i can see. Especially when my husband is on his car while his brother hold trash can with 2 rats in it and my husband looks crazy blasting b bs at like 2am like that but we are over ran to the point i see 2 or 3 rats every time i look outside for a min...day or night. My toddler is always yelling "i see Lil animals out here" .so im over it. They dont want what i give but i don't want what i got so far..ohh they can't speak English but they are nice. Probably wouldn't mind but hard to explain its not toxic on food...See MoreHow do I stop water from leaking into the garage
Comments (5)yam2006, I ran across a similar situation this past fall, a 2 car garage - brand new. First I checked to see that the doors were properly and tightly weatherstriped. They weren't. So repaired that. Checked the inside garage floor and it was level - no pitch and at the same height as the outside driveway. To correct the problem, we cut in a drain across the front of the garage, running the full width of the driveway from left to right and added a lenght of perforated pipe into the yard for drainage. That solved the problem. Your local mason should be able to best advise you best by a visual inspection. Call one. All the best, The PorchGuy Here is a link that might be useful: My Album...See MoreNeed advice on stopping water flooding sidewalk
Comments (6)I think your only long term option, and probably the cheapest, to to regrade the yard and create a swale. I would create it on the right of garage (as seen in picture) and run it on the left side of the green square from about the patio? to about 5 feet beyond the back of the garage. It should end so the water drains between the back of the garage and the out-building Assuming the lot drops of to the right from the green square, the swale does not need to be deep. About 8" lower and sloping from the garage. It should drain to the back of the garage, and move the water to the back, to the natural drainage. I suspect you could cut it through the green square, but you would have your leach bed to consider (How deep are the lines) The swale could be create with a sod cutting machine. Cut the sod from about a six foot wide section the length of the garage. Once the sod is remove dig the right three feed down about 4 to 6 inches and stack the dirt next to the garage. once you have all grades correct and flowing correctly replace the sod. I think you could cut it across the drive way, but I think that opens a whole knew set of problems. Also you could run a pipe from the house along the left side of the square, but the swale would be the less maintenance in the long term....See More
3onthetree
2 years agoFrom the debris piles it looks like the sheetflow (surface water runoff) is consistent along the fence - that's a good thing in that it doesn't appear the neighbor is causing extra harm in dumping water at point loads (like a pipe) than what would naturally occur down a slope.
Your idea of a 8" wide x 8" deep "ditch" is correct in concept just with some tweaking. You can create a swale along the fence, which compared to a "ditch" is considered less steep and doesn't come to a "vee" point. You then slope it to direct the sheetflow water to front or back, or to a retention area out of the way if there is no where for the water to drain offsite. Ground cover, no need for gravel. If you also have excessive underground water which is affecting something nearby, then you can install a french drain at the bottom of the swale to direct that water as well.
You can use the spoils from digging the swale to build a berm for the landscaping, which will simultaneouslly help in creating the swale and keep your plantings well drained. Especially since you might need to raise the plantings higher from the clay soil anyway (if clay hardpan vs clayey soil) and try not to make mulch volcanoes.
james7607
2 years agokevin9408
2 years agokrnuttle
2 years ago
dchall_san_antonio
2 years agoTo my eye this problem is for your neighbor to repair. He should not allow water to runoff of his property into the property of someone else. The easy fix for him is to mound up the soil on his side of the fence. Ideally you both would agree to removing the fence, building the mound where the fence stands, and replacing the fence on top of the mound. I've seen that done for a different reason. In this case the local rules limit fence height to 7 feet, so this guy built a 2-ft mound and built his fence 7 feet high on top of that.
Here is a picture taken in a neighborhood where it was designed right from the beginning.
The mounds and swales direct the water to the street for drainage. Water from behind the back wall drains into the pipe coming out into the gutter.
PROVan Zelst Inc
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoYard areas with runoff and drainage issues can be challenging. Considering opportunities to improve drainage and to enhance the aesthetics of your property adjacent to your neighbor, there are a number of options.
These drainage concepts, such as swales, dry stream-beds, rain gardens, bioswales, and open french drains are all designed to accomplish 4 basic goals:- To move water from one area of the landscape to another
- To detain water in a designated area where it may be absorbed into the ground over a larger area
- To reduce maintenance related problems in an area of extreme moisture
- To look aesthetically pleasing and natural
Read our blog post for more helpful info about the essential elements of successful drainage: https://www.vanzelst.com/blog/water-problems-and-solutions/.
Shelle Hardin
last year
PROGator Grass Lawn Care
10 months agolast modified: 10 months ago
nickel_kg