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Water Runoff Diversion


Zero Knievel

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There's an ongoing issue at my house.  Water runs off the mountain and drains under the drive (currently in two places) via culverts.  Needless to say, when it's severe, dead limbs, leaves, small(ish) rocks, etc. come down with it; forcing the water to find another patch of drainage.  I spent Saturday digging out the culvert going under the paved section of the driveway.  Fortunately, a few moderate sized branches were the culprit, so nothing was in the pipe...just the entry was blocked, but I had to dig over a ten square foot area to find where the culvert was.

 

I know there's always going to be dirt and leaves washing down, and the culverts will need regular inspection for blockages, but on this one particular culvert (and possibly another similar to it), I'd like to find an inexpensive "diverter" I can either buy or build uphill to catch/deflect the big items so they don't run full force into the mouth of the culvert.  I'd have to do this by hand, so nothing that requires heavy equipment to install or too heavy to carry up uneven terrain.

 

I've tried Google, but my hits are more for items designed for professional landscaping jobs.  The stuff for homeowners is more about landscaping options geared to slowing runoff so it's absorbed into the soil.

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  • 2 years later...

Well, I’m semi-happy with the results.  I’ll take pics later today, but for two openings I used 4 foot t-posts (the green ones) and chicken coop wire.  They weren’t easy to install because the area around the inlets are mostly rock.  On lesser storms, they caught debris and let the water pass over/around.  Saturday, I went out and pulled out the debris that accumulated and for the third culvert where the inlet appears to be part crushed from the driveway paving, I just took a section of chicken coop wire, folded it in half, and fashioned an oval to catch debris without standing higher than the edge of the drive.

 

I checked them this morning after the storms passed through.  The two big ones need to be cleaned, repaired and reinforced, BUT they did the job.  Enough debris hit the wire to block water flow and collapse the circle of wire I erected, but water flowed around the barrier and entered the drain pipe from the back side.  No overflow issues in drainage.

 

PICS...

 

ditch1.jpg.d4f3a8c4a89ade293dcd88d9a130225c.jpg ditch2.jpg.db1f5c298074f79edc601c618b2861ea.jpg ditch3.jpg.ae978c863733901d3b0666601a3b438f.jpg

Edited by Zero Knievel
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  • 3 weeks later...

Nicely done and good idea. I owned three acres where diverted and plugged culverts upstream resulted in significant flooding of adjacent lands. There was a fair amount of beaver activity and I think bone headed human involvement by neighbors. I sold the place a little over a year ago. Loved the location near a river, but do not miss the issues with culverts, creeks and flooded fields. 

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Build check dams with large #3 size stone also called surge material or gabion size stone. 

 

between every 50 to 100 foots depending on grade and volume of water they will see. If high volumes of water 100 GPM I would reinforce with Class I rip rap. Will catch sticks and other debris and require checking or cleaning every 6 months to a year on average. Slowing of water will also help prevent erosion which left unattended will find the weakest link in your culvert pipe and wash out the pipe and your driveway. 

 

I have built many, maintained miles upon miles of proper water drainage meeting all DEQ and DMME requirements.  

 

That is the proper way to handle water that is free flowing, slow it down and divert it correctly. 

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  • 2 years later...

Well, I found a metal fabricator in town and had him make three of these…I painted them when I got home.  Under $80 for all three.

 

5275E882-3110-42E7-BD9E-4F0650C5F863.thumb.jpeg.b14320445b842edd46b645b9172c73d3.jpeg
 

Installing, I repurposed some of the old stuff and used chicken wire to prevent stuff falling in from behind.

 

F7424FC5-3D7F-4D29-9063-DBB87971EA99.thumb.jpeg.193cdaf68f05845cd50e357459c144d3.jpeg

 

B580D2A1-860D-4D5D-98B1-107C11CCD09D.thumb.jpeg.9a2deff0c3112eb3bc9f088619d311b5.jpeg

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