How to Landscape a Dry Creek Bed

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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A dry creek bed offers a unique opportunity for a homeowner concerned about drainage. Flooding problems on your property can be remedied with the construction of an easy channel from the water source to the final drainage point. You can landscape a dry creek bed to keep water away from your home without sacrificing your landscaping style.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Shovel
Wooden stakes
Tarp
Landscaping fabric
Landscaping stones
Mortar

Step1

Calculate the grade of your property from your home to the storage area for drained water. You should dig the dry creek bed to meet the standard of 1 foot of decline for every 50 feet in length.

Step2

Line the course of your dry creek bed with stakes to provide an overview of your project. You should place stakes every 5 feet with string running from stake to stake to block off the excavation.

Step3

Obscure the source of drained water at the beginning of your dry creek bed with clever landscaping methods. You should place small trees and shrubs near the drainage source to prevent an eyesore from distracting from the creek bed.

Step4

Cut into your property by keeping the 2-to-1 ratio in mind. Landscapers traditionally keep dry creek beds and other manufactured waterways twice the width of the creek's depth.

Step5

Run tarp along the path of your projected creek bed to take care of sod. You can lay out pieces of sod face down to be reused on other parts of your property.

Step6

Cover the excavated area on your property with landscaping fabric before you complete the project. Landscaping fabric should be placed on the bottom and sides of the creek bed to help construct a functional drain.

Step7

Install bricks and landscaping rocks along the dry creek bed to help keep water flowing quickly from end to end. You should utilize narrower bricks in the center of the bed and place larger stones along the edges to funnel water toward its final destination. It is important to use mortar to bond bricks together for long-term durability.

Step8

Construct a pond at the end of your dry creek bed to landscape your property in a uniform way. You can use leftover bricks, boulders and other materials to build a pond that prevents overflow into neighboring properties.

Tips & Warnings

Head to city hall to speak with an official at the water commission about correct drainage procedures. Most cities allow limited drainage into public streets, though there has been a trend away from these rules due to concerns of polluted runoff. You should request a letter confirming approval for drainage before you landscape.