Need advice on Springtime project (long)

[AndyM]

We bought this property a few years ago, and had a house built on it, and we moved in this past April. The house is about 250 feet from the road and the center of the low spot in the picture is about 75 feet from the road. Everything runs down hill into this spot, from all directions.

My downspout lines from the house run into this low spot, along with the discharge from my sump pump. You can see the white PVC pipe in the picture.

In past years, before the house was built, the water was only about 30 feet across until July or August when it dried up enough to drive the tractor through it. It didn't become wet again until the snow melted in the spring. Of course, this past summer was EXTREMELY wet, and hasn't dried up like years past.

We've thrown around different ideas of what we should do with it, from filling it in completely and cutting down the willow tree, to making a permenant pond in that area.

At this point, I'm sick of having a flooded front yard, and I'm looking for a easy and cost effective way to fix it. If anyone else has ideas to share or past experiences, I've got an open mind. Bear in mind that it's uphill to the ditch at the road, so I couldn't really put an overflow pipe without putting in a pump to get it to the road ditch. If I fill it in completely, it's still going to be lower than everything around it, and would still be wet. Come on and give me your best ideas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE AT TBN AND YOUR FAMILIES TOO! /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[AndyM]

Here's a picture from the middle of September. A whole lot better, but still not completely dry. I'd be happy if it looked like this all year round.

 

[AndyM]

One last one, from July 24.

We had a lot of rain in July and August. It dried up a lot by September, but all the rain in October and November saturated the ground and there's no where left for it to go. Now that the last couple of snowfalls have melted, it looks pretty bad.

 

[JASTN70D]

AndyM

You know if it dries out every year or at least in normal years a dry pond is not very attractive either. I say pump it to the ditch. It does not look as though filling it would be an option as it would push the water to the drive on either side or then you could raise them and on and on and on.....

 

[AndyM]

I'm not an engineer, but would filling the low spot with gravel and then a layer of dirt and grass make the water filter into the ground any faster?
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[JASTN70D]

I'm not close to being an engineer either. And I never considered that don't know if that would work or not.? I hope someone else jumps in I am in over my head. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif It does sound as though you have some ideas that may be intriguing. By the way are both the drives yours.? It seems the water could start to breakdown the drives in that area over time

 

[RonR]

Not an engineer either, but is there a low spot that you could run the water to? If the area is all flat, that probably limits your options. However, if there were a low spot a couple hundred feet away (that you owned), you might be able to ditch or sink a drain pipe to it. My guess is if the low spot is on someone else's property, you might now find a welcome with a ditch!

I'll pass and wait for a better answer from someone that knows something.

Ron

 

[PineRidge]

Some year’s back when I bought our lot it was unusable from the standpoint of building a home. The lowest spot on the lot is exactly where we wanted the home to be built. So I hired a contractor to bring in a pan and move some serious dirt. I ended up with a very good piece of ground on which we put a pond and our new home.

I say, fill that low spot in to get rid of it. If you need to add some heavy wall PVC to direct the water under the drives then that’s not the worst-case scenario in the world. I have 3 under my drive and its always dry.

You will end up with a yard that drains properly year round.

 

[Dozernut]

Get a dozer or backhoe and dig it out. Work around the nice Willow and incorporate it into the landscape around the pond. Landscape with some large bolders and rock chips or lava and add a park bench. Put some Koi or other type colored fish, maybe some Fathead Minnows for mosquito control and you will have a small haven where you can watch the fish and attract other wildlife.

 

[RebelYell]

I agree with Dozernut. Have a pond dug about 2 to 4 feet deep but not a big footprint so you can keep water in it during dry periods. You can hide the downspout drain in the pond and get rid of that eyesore. Keep the willow tree at all costs. Although willow tree's are dirty almost all year round; I think they are beautiful. I have one over my pool which I hate but I will keep it, mostly cause the wife says I can't cut it down. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Having your downspouts ran into it already will help keep water in it and the shade from the tree's will also help keep the water from evaporating. Install a liner and I think you should be able to keep water in it all year, just leave room for the runoff, which is what you are trying to remdedy. You may have to live with the main waterline somewhat low so you have room for the rainy season; which has been the past 2 years in my area. We were 20 inches below average 2 years ago. We are 25 inches above normal this year. BTW, your grass came in very nice between July and September and that is a really beautiful willow tree.