Backyard Swamp
Mar 7, 2016
Problem: The customer contacted us to rid them of their swamp problem that was once the lawn in their back yard. The lawn was level but is the low point so it accumulated all the surface water from their neighbors on both sides. The customer has five children and three dogs so the use of the lawn is a key feature in the landscape.
Solution: Northwest Rain Solutions LLC identified the source of the water and drainage issue during the initial inspection. An infiltration trench was incorporated as a drain rock swale underneath a pathway that led to the rock stairs leading up the side of the house. At the bottom of the stairs, another infiltration system collected interflow and surface water from the hillside before overflowing into a large cobble swale mimicking a northwest river bed. A third infiltration system was designed underneath an extension of their patio to provide a point for the surface water to accumulate while maintaining it as a usable space. The infiltration system was dug out then filled with drain rock and capped with flagstone directly off the existing concrete patio where the water and mud formed.
End Result: As the surface water collects under the flagstone patio, it infiltrates into the ground underneath the lawn. In heavy rains, water drains to the drain rock walking path, and then to the large cobble swale, which disperses into the natural wooded area. What was once a stormwater trap is now a functioning stormwater infiltration and dispersion system! The lawn has grown in and the customer can let their children and dogs run free in the backyard and no longer worry about them tracking in mud!
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