The Spring/Summer of 2019 is on record as one of the wettest in recent history. As a result, homeowners have discovered drainage and erosion issues they didn’t know they had! A dry creek bed could be a perfect solution to protect your property while giving you peace of mind when that next torrential rain comes through the area.
The goal of a dry creek bed is to create a natural-looking yet functional space for areas that commonly flood or hold standing water after a big storm. Dry Creek beds still look great even when the weather is nice while being relatively maintenance-free. The process is surprisingly easy, but House of Rocks can also refer you to a quality landscape company to design and install the creek bed for you.
How To Build
- Figure out where the water currently pools and flows. You can easily tell if you pay attention during a rainstorm or you may notice areas of clear erosion after repeated rainfalls.
- Design the overall scope of the creek bed from start to end. Be sure to have plenty of random curvature for that “natural” appearance. Many people will use rubber hose to create and adjust an outline of what the area will look like and mark the area with spray paint once the shape is determined. Figure out a good area for the excess water to be directed to. You’ll want to avoid re-directing water into your neighbor’s property and public access areas like sidewalks/streets. You should check with your local Public Works department before channeling water into the storm drain. You may also consider a dry well if there are simply no areas to direct the excess water. A dry well is a deeper hole with a plastic basin filled with rock that will collect water and allow gradual absorption into the surrounding soil. More on dry wells
- Call your local utility hotline to mark possible underground utilities.
Kansas: Call 811
Missouri: 1-800-DIG-RITE - Dig! This is where you can call a professional excavate the area and give you a blank canvas or you can rent equipment through a local rental service such as Anderson Rental. If your area needs a dry well, we recommend contacting a professional.
Digging a trench to a max depth of approximately 8-18” while being careful to dig the area about twice as wide as it is deep. Width and depth should also account for the amount and intensity of the water. A dry creek bed will not be of much help if it is too narrow or shallow to accommodate a big storm. The surface should be relatively flat with angled sides for the larger rocks to rest on. The leftover soil from the initial dig can be put to use to raise the sides while using a hand-tamper to make them solid.
- Lay down weed barrier over the area. Weed barrier should cover the bottom and up the sides of the bed. This will prevent the rock from settling into the ground while still allowing water to permeate through. Spun-bonded or woven polypropylene is a durable option. Cheaper options can deteriorate over time.
- Rock It! This is where you can have some fun and get creative. House of Rocks carries several varieties that can be used in a dry creek bed. As a general rule, the bottom portion of the bed is typically filled-in using smaller rock while the larger rocks will rest on the ends and edges. You can even use boulders in the middle and on the edges to further assist in breaking up water flow. We recommend using no smaller than a 2” gravel so that it doesn’t get washed away.
To estimate tonnage here are some general rules:
2” Rock: 80 square feet per ton at 2” Depth
2-4” Rock: 55 square feet per ton
4-8” Rock: 35 square feet per ton
