Culvert for creek?

trauts14 · Aug 12, 2017

I have a stream that is approx 8" wide and approx 4" deep. The stream is slow moving and is needed to feed water to my pond. A 50' section of this stream has holes in the ground that make the water flow subterranean which reduces the water my pond gets. Would plastic corrugated culvert be the best option to prevent the water from diverting subterranean? I was using think plastic sheeting to line the bed of the stream, but with time deer walked on it and punctured it.
For what it is worth, the stream does get silk buildup over time. I have no idea as how to address this problem.

whirly · Aug 12, 2017

Culvert Pipe comes in 20' section and as small as 8". Rural King has some HERE. put your plastic sheeting down and the culvert pipe over that. Wait to see if it does the trick then cover the pipe with dirt.

LD1 · Aug 12, 2017

I don't personally like messing with how mother nature routes water.

The water that is going underground.....where is it going? What negative effects are going to result if you do this? Big sink holes like seem to be happening more and more frequently?

trauts14 · Aug 12, 2017

Thank you. The plastic sheeting we have been using is currently down in the stream. I can leave it down with culvert over it. Out of curiosity, what is the benefit of leaving it down when culvert is over it? Also, will corrugated culvert allow silt to accumulate within the culvert? Thank you for your assistance.

whirly · Aug 12, 2017

trauts14

The pipe should only be corrugated on the outside ... smooth on the inside. Although silting can be a problem in a pipe with a very small drop from one end (inlet) to the other (outflow), for 50' it probably won't. My primary concern would be nests during dry spells. The corrugation is to add compression strength. The sheeting, on second thought, may serve no real purpose. I just thought it might be an additional barrier to the water going underground and might have helped in keeping the water from undermining the pipe but it also could do just the opposite.

LD1

Excellent point but the sink holes in the news generally are coming from the community pulling ground water from the aquifer faster than it can be replenished especially in fragile rock formations like sandstone - read Florida. Diverting an 8" wide "stream" IMHO, assuming that this is a rural area with a pond and the neighbors more than 6' from your bedroom window, isn't going to make a lot of difference in the grand scheme of things. But that's just my :twocents: worth. As always I could be wrong.

sandman2234 · Aug 12, 2017

whirly said:
trauts14

LD1

Excellent point but the sink holes in the news generally are coming from the community pulling ground water from the aquifer faster than it can be replenished especially in fragile rock formations like sandstone - read Florida. Diverting an 8" wide "stream" IMHO, assuming that this is a rural area with a pond and the neighbors more than 6' from your bedroom window, isn't going to make a lot of difference in the grand scheme of things. But that's just my :twocents: worth. As always I could be wrong.

You kind of just made a point...(being from Florida, I can understand).
If water is being pumped out of the ground, and someone removes a source of it going into the ground, isn't that going to offset the balance? A single place that is covered up may not make a difference, but what about that thousands of them that are done, don't they all add up to a little more than "a little"?
Think of the thousands of miles of roads built into lowlands, think of the thousands of houses built on ground that was "filled". That also doesn't include al the extra water being pumped out of the ground.
Just saying, if we can reasonably keep from upsetting the balance, shouldn't we?
David from jax

trauts14 · Aug 12, 2017

Thank you for the help. This item would not work since it is corrugated on the inside correct?....Shop ADS 12-in x 2-ft Corrugated Culvert Pipe at Lowes.com
Would home depot, lowes, tractor supply sell the pipe you mention that is smooth on the inside? To be safe, I was thinking use 12" pipe to accommodate a heavier stream after a storm.

Redlands Okie · Aug 12, 2017

Corrugated on the inside will most likely work just fine. It's pretty standard on what I see for culverts

TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark · Aug 12, 2017

trauts14 said:
T
Would home depot, lowes, tractor supply sell the pipe you mention that is smooth on the inside? To be safe, I was thinking use 12" pipe to accommodate a heavier stream after a storm.

Nope. You need to find someone who supplies large landscapers & highway departments. I found a company like that near me when I needed to install a few hundred feet of French drain. The stuff they carried that was the same as Lowes was less than half the price (4" flexible drain). They also carried all of the big stuff that the consumer box stores do not carry.

This is the kind of company you need to look for. To find them, I searched on, "culvert supply Winchester VA"

Try the same in your area, you'll probably find what you need.