Using Landscaping to Fix Drainage and Erosion Issues

In this project we were tasked with mitigating an erosion and drainage issue caused by a very steep yard. The erosion caused by fast moving water would put mud in the pool during every storm, rendering the pool useless for days until the homeowner could get it cleaned. However, whenever it would storm again, they’d have the same problem all over. In order to resolve this, we needed to rethink the grade, while considering the overall landscape. The solution we developed was to reconstruct the lawn into three tiers, using mossy boulders to do so, and then add drainage at key locations in each of those tiers. By regrading with the boulders, we were able to reduce the slope of the yard, controlling where and how fast the water would move. By adding drainage to the design, the yard would then pick up rainwater in stages, preventing runoff from accumulating or speeding up. The key to this solution was using both grading and drainage together, where one complimented the other. This was a fun project that required thinking outside the (catch basin) box. As we determined where to grade swales and berms, as well as where to place the catch basins, we kept reminding ourselves to imagine being the water and picturing how it would run (as well as testing those theories with a garden hose!) As a physical property, water behaves a certain way, and this has to be considered when trying to come up with a way to mitigate it. We hope you enjoy this video as much as we enjoyed creating it!