Maintenance of water runoff swail

Fireman_dcb · Jul 1, 2004

Question for you all... when we had a 1,300 s.f. 2 story addition with full basement addition put on our house we had to install perforated drain pipe around the foundation - OK I said to the Local Code Enforcement folks , but where should it drain to? "We don't care where it goes to, just install the drain" said the folks at the Bureau of Code Enforcement just install it... so the builder installed the drain pipe, I had the excavator dig a trench about 200 feet long x 4 foot wide with a sweet Kimastu excavator to the lowest corner of my property then laid the same perforated pipe with salt hay/ stone/ soil over the top out to surface level where he dug out a swail to ensure the water would run off the property. Its a drop of about 12 feet over the 180 foot run. Question I have is what is the best way to maintain this ? Let the grass weeds grow and mow them once a month? Line the swail with weed matting then cover it with stone so nothing grows in it? Any/ all recommendations appreciated.

cmhyland · Jul 1, 2004

I'd fill the swail with that 4" rip rap stone myself. The space between the stones is too big for soil and seed to catch in and the weeds will generally not grow.

I have a weed and brush control problem myself and I'm looking for input on killing brush, vines and heavy weeds in spots where the brush hog can't reach. Maybe it's just time to get a bulldozer in to fix the terrain so I can mow everything and keep it clean....

In New England the concord grapevines are a real problem once the get started.... I have vines that are 4 to 5 inches in diameter...

Good Luck,
Chris

Currmudgeon · Jul 1, 2004

How steep is the swale? Is there any other water flowing through it? What kind of soil?

In geneeral, I like to do erosion control with grassed swales. It's natural and the roots hold the soil together. Consider using the same seed mix your state DOT uses for drainage swales.

I'd armor the output of the drain pipe with some 4-inch or so stone. I don't imagine you'll have much water coming out of the pipe, so a wheelbarrow full spread 8 inches deep outght to be enough. You may want to raise that to an FEL bucketload if you're discharging a lot of water.

If the swale is too flat, and the bottom stays mucky, then a strip of stone down the center can clean up the mess, but it plays hob with your mower.

Fireman_dcb · Jul 1, 2004

( I'd fill the swail with that 4" rip rap stone myself. The space between the stones is too big for soil and seed to catch in and the weeds will generally not grow...
Good Luck,
Chris )

Chris, it sounds like I'll be getting a couple of loads of rip rap to fill up the swail to ground level... might just run a strip of weed matting down the center.

thanks , Doug

Fireman_dcb · Jul 1, 2004

( How steep is the swale? ) its about a 20 degree angle - about 3' deep, 12' wide and about 60' long. I've gone through and used the FEL to clean out weeds growing there (can't get in with a brush hog).

( I'd armor the output of the drain pipe with some 4-inch or so stone. I don't imagine you'll have much water coming out of the pipe, so a wheelbarrow full spread 8 inches deep outght to be enough. You may want to raise that to an FEL bucketload if you're discharging a lot of water. )

The water does flow out pretty quick during heavy rain storms. I'm thinking of a couple of truck load of rip rap since the soil is has a lot of clay content and takes some time to drain down.

Thanks - Doug