Filling a Swale

[Toiyabe]

If you go with the french drain, make sure you completely enclose the stone with geotextile (make it like a burrito), otherwise fine material will wash into it from above and eventually plug it up. You may also want to include a fin of permeable material extending from the drain to the surface to help get water down into the drain. Washed concrete sand would be a good material for the fin, as it's very resistant to plugging. It can be pricey, though.

The french drains I've seen were made with 1"-2" stone, which is smaller then what is usually considered rip-rap.

 

[trlong]

LBrown and Toiyabe,

Sorry to take so long to get back to you. I've gotten buried with work, battening down for winter (got 10-12" of very wet snow last week and had to cut my way out of the driveway...wish I'd gotten pic.'s), and dealing with property line and septic issues with uncooperative neighbor.

Thank you for your suggestions. Looks like it will be Spring before I get anywhere on the swale. This could be good as the Town should be cleaning ditches then. Seems that any and all fill is at a premium around here these days. I did talk to the State and they just chuckled. We have no "County" highway dept.'s, just Town or State Regions.

The "French Drain" is the term I should have been using. That's what keeps the water from the back hill diverted around my house. Not sure what I can afford for drain materials. I guess I'll be doing a bit more design work and pricing materials over the winter.

Thanks again,

Tom