Dry Wells?

[tungularafishcamp]

Is it pond building time?

Rick

 

[Gary Fowler]

Sounds like you need a retaining basin with drain that allows run off at a pre-determined rate that wont flood the neighbor but allows slow run off. YOU may be looking at a rather large basin if you have lots of water to contend with. It would be like a pond except the overflow line would be on the bottom of the dike rather than the top and it would need to be sized to allow the right amount of water to flow out so that it wouldnt flood the neighbor but still drain some of the water. You may even need more than one drain to release more water . If the level gets too high then an additional drain would kick in and release more

 

[Baby Grand]

Is it pond building time?

Rick

My thoughts, exactly. Although I think Gary has a better approach in mind. If the bottom drain allows you to retain some water (a la pond/slough) then you may have a very nice reservoir for the odd dry spell. Plus a good place for frogs and dragonflies.
-Jim
(Big fan of Sarah Harmer, formerly of Weeping Tile)

 

[The Dougster]

Curlydave is right. Somehow, you must get below the clay.. clay is impermeable and will not allow the water to drain away... might have to have a dry well drilled to below the clay layer, install a perforated pipe... just the reverse of a producing water well. Might have to check on permit requirements for an injection well....

 

[Reverend Blair]

I looked into the codes today. If I want a pond big enough to do any good, I have to enclose it in a 6 foot fence. Same rules as for a swimming pool.

I wonder if anybody would notice if I cut a trench through the empty field out to the highway?:laughing:

 

[JohninCT]

I wonder if anybody would notice if I cut a trench through the empty field out to the highway?:laughing:

Maybe not if you ended the trench at some distance away and let it flow through and disperse through a quantity of loose rock.

 

[Reverend Blair]

Hmmm...that just might work. The catch being that it's not actually my field.

 

[MikeD74T]

No matter how much clay you have you do not have clay all the way to the center of the earth.

You need to get the bottom of the dry well below the clay layer and it will then drain water. Check with your county to see if they have any records of how deep the clay layer is. Someone will know this, you just have to find it.

Once you know how much clay to expect, you will be able to decide if it is worthwhile to dig a deep enough hole.

I only have about 25' of clay on my property, however where it ends granite starts and granite does extend to the center of the earth. Granite don't drain well either. MikeD74t

 

[TripleR]

I have had the same experience as others and I am pretty sure where I live the clay does go all the way through the earth and somewhere a Chinese homeowner/farmer is complaining about the same problem.:laughing: