I have a problem with water draining down the hill in my back yard and washing away the hill. It's hard for me to cut grass on the hill with my zero turn because the ride is very bumpy, what's the best method to control water flow for this scenario. Which implements for the tractor works best. I'm in the process of buying a Kioti ck35hst with front end loader and box blade. Here are some pictures of my back yard.
How to control drainage off hill
- Thread starter quedogf94
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Onthesauk
Silver Member
I guess I'd be inclined to keep overseeding, fertilizing and watering. Try to get a good sod cover to hold the soil. Then you can use fine topsoil or a sand mixture to rake in and even out the rough or low spots. Our house is built well up a hillside and I use most of a 25 pound sack of grass seed every spring to make sure I've got good sod on all the hill.
DWW68
Bronze Member
If you ran some drain tile along the hill and filled the trench with washed stone, it would carry the water away and prevent it from washing the soil away. I think that you could get away with one line about 2/3rds up the hill. You will need to rent a trencher, but you could use the tractor to back fill the trench.
thatguy
Elite Member
More of a questions but it could possibly be a suggestion...
What if you built some sort of berm/ditch across the top of the hill? You could use that to divert the water to the drain tile DWW68 recommended..
good luck
Brian
What if you built some sort of berm/ditch across the top of the hill? You could use that to divert the water to the drain tile DWW68 recommended..
good luck
Brian
Todd_C
Gold Member
quedogf94,
You did not list where you live, so the following info. may not apply. I have a similar problem that I spent all spring working on. I live in what is considered zone 6 according to the literature that I have read. The yearly temperature low is -10 to +10 degrees F. My problem is that this past winter was a warm winter for my area with little snow fall, but with a lot of rain fall during the winter. The grass on the front slope on the side of my house washed out, so I spent a couple weeks moving dirt from another portion of my land to the washed out area. I then used a PTO tiller to till the dirt. I fertilized and planted grass in the tilled soil. The grass grew well until the end of June. My area is having a rain shortage along with hot weather so my new grass has now turned brown.
I am now going to place a border of football sized rocks around the entire area. I am then going to place junipers at the bottom of the slope and around the edge next to the wood line. I am also going to plant junipers across the center of my slope which is 50 yards in length. The center line will be approximately 20 yards across. I have used junipers and rocks before to stop soil erosion in other areas. Junipers will live almost anywhere and they don't require a lot of care.
I also had the same trouble with the ruts in the washed out area. I tried to patch the ruts but this method did not work for me. This is why I resorted to the above. Good Luck.
You did not list where you live, so the following info. may not apply. I have a similar problem that I spent all spring working on. I live in what is considered zone 6 according to the literature that I have read. The yearly temperature low is -10 to +10 degrees F. My problem is that this past winter was a warm winter for my area with little snow fall, but with a lot of rain fall during the winter. The grass on the front slope on the side of my house washed out, so I spent a couple weeks moving dirt from another portion of my land to the washed out area. I then used a PTO tiller to till the dirt. I fertilized and planted grass in the tilled soil. The grass grew well until the end of June. My area is having a rain shortage along with hot weather so my new grass has now turned brown.
I am now going to place a border of football sized rocks around the entire area. I am then going to place junipers at the bottom of the slope and around the edge next to the wood line. I am also going to plant junipers across the center of my slope which is 50 yards in length. The center line will be approximately 20 yards across. I have used junipers and rocks before to stop soil erosion in other areas. Junipers will live almost anywhere and they don't require a lot of care.
I also had the same trouble with the ruts in the washed out area. I tried to patch the ruts but this method did not work for me. This is why I resorted to the above. Good Luck.
Egon
Epic Contributor
Turn the washing susceptible area into a no mow zone where shrubs and tall grass are planted.
thatguy
Elite Member
Egon said:
that is probably the best idea yet.. BUT you cant make that recommendation here - there is no tractor use involved.. LOL
brian
jbrumberg
Elite Member
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- Cummington, MA
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- New Holland TC29DA, John Deere D130
Quedogf94:
Welcome to TBN
! Nice pictures of the "problem" and your house. It appears that you have many options. I like Onthesauk's and Egon's suggestions the best. Adding things to mow around makes for to if there are other "projects" you would rather focus on. Wildlife attractors would be nice for the kids and/or ornamental grasses (except bamboo or even worse crown vetch ).
Jay
Welcome to TBN
! Nice pictures of the "problem" and your house. It appears that you have many options. I like Onthesauk's and Egon's suggestions the best. Adding things to mow around makes for to if there are other "projects" you would rather focus on. Wildlife attractors would be nice for the kids and/or ornamental grasses (except bamboo or even worse crown vetch ).Jay
schmism
Super Member
erosion happens because the water has suficent velocity = force to cary way dirt/rocks/whatever.
you need to slow the water down. (or provide a surface that wont errode)
this is what riprap is designed to do. But no one wants piles of rocks in there back yard so....
go with the long grass... perhaps a wild flower mix?
you need to slow the water down. (or provide a surface that wont errode)
this is what riprap is designed to do. But no one wants piles of rocks in there back yard so....
go with the long grass... perhaps a wild flower mix?
scott_vt
Super Member
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- Oct 5, 2004
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- 7,366
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- east wells,vt
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- 1986 MF 1040, 1942 Farmall A, 1949 Farmall Super A
Afternoon Quedogf94,
I just thought I would throw another suggestion out there. How about planting sometype of ground cover like pachasander sp? or mountain snow to name a few. These varieties will spread and hold the soil while doing so !
I just thought I would throw another suggestion out there. How about planting sometype of ground cover like pachasander sp? or mountain snow to name a few. These varieties will spread and hold the soil while doing so !
