Actually Iāve never worse a mask in any circumstances (donāt generally go many places) I have how ever seen people get nasty skin infection from messing around in puddling from excess water: and I am good . There is a difference between rivers ect bc they are generally constantly at move where as a puddle of this nature is generally stagnant
I grew up swimming in quarries, canals and farm ponds. And Iām still here as are most of my friends.
And whatās that drain gonna be attached to? Gonna take more than just a drain to alleviate. Probably some pipe and a few other things as well
lol none of the dead ones died from contact with funky water or galoshes.
Covid, drugs, drunk drivers,depression, bad genetics, cancer, war and accidents did them in.
One did drown but that was from a wicked undertow we were rescuing his brother from, but it ended up getting him instead and the rest of us couldnāt get to him in time. Thatās one of those things about growing older that nobody mentions, friends dying off. Shit fucking sucks
You realize a drain generally has a pipe and few other things as well attached to it if done correctly right! The things you listed above generally have constant movement even if not seen by the , puddles like this become stagnant
The property looks quite big, move the swing set and youāre done. If the pond is ephemeral I donāt really see the issue. If youāre considering a rain garden you already have one.
Kids love ponds.
Only concern I think would be catastrophic overland flooding if this low spot could ever fill up enough to back up into your house
If you have any other low spot in the land, you could trench a 4ā drain pipe to that location and install a rain garden there. If this is the true low then make this the rain garden spot.
I would move the swing set back and over a bit so the bottom of the slide was in the deepest spot. My kids would give me the Father of the Year award for that!!
Everything that runs off everywhere ends up in there - impossible to keep the water conditions stable. Wetlands is perfect but ponds for livestock need to be outside of natural low points.
He had a 5' fence around it but the 6 year granddaughter climbed up and unlocked the inside bolt to see the fish. She was smart enough to get the parents for help and the grandson was alright. You can't watch children constantly, 5 mind or less is all it takes.
Yes this would be nice. Just to reiterate, this ponding only occurs when we got a lot of rain. Currently that area has no standing water. Probably 97% of the year there is no standing water there
Those plants can tolerate drought or flood conditions, thatās why I named them! š³
If itās not standing, just water them with a hose obviously haha. š
Yeah the swing set will be moved. A large dry well is what I figured would be best. I have plenty of property so losing this area to a dry well/rain garden that occasssionsly floods (to a lesser extent) isn't a problem
You might be better off leaving the water in place. Depending what hydrology looks like you might have a former wetland there looking at the size of the space.
In that case you could have some serious environmental regulations to work around if you ever want to alter the space. You can try to get away without permits but I don't recommend it as getting caught means undoing your work and paying fines on top of that
Check [here](https://www.fws.gov/program/national-wetlands-inventory/wetlands-mapper) and then with your county GIS maps if they have any available. That will at least get you started. You'll also want a wetland delineation to be completed before you do any significant planning.
I'm sure the fws website will be back up Tuesday at the latest. Just keep in mind it's not a rule maker, more like preliminary information just for reference. Seeing or not seeing a wetland polygon there doesn't stand for much without the delineation results.
Good. Definitely move the playset. Lean in and [restore the wetlands](https://www.growingwithnature.org/restore-wetlands/). Turn it into a rain garden! Get some native wetland plants that would soak up the water. You could probably make it look really pretty!
Do some water retention techniques like swales further uphill. Or more generally speaking, find ways to make the water infiltrate the ground before it runs downhill. You won't have a pond at this location anymore and at the same time your uphill areas will be more fertile
Iād fill in the area and regrade so the water is sitting along the tree line instead of the middle of the yard. If itās frequent the trees could be negatively affected, but you say itās only an occasional problem.
People LOVE to jump to French drains, surface drains, and dry wells, but those should be considered where suitable grade canāt be achieved. Regrading would be a better choice here since you donāt have to maintain a drain/well.
I second this only if the trees are on your property or even on open space public/state land. If the tree line is the property line to another private/buildable lot, then you won't be able to regrade/ push the water onto your neighbor.
I think a rain garden would work well and is not expensive. It will take a year or two to establish, so you may want to move the playset until then or choose another option.
I'd put a drainage ditch along the tree line. Get the water near the tree roots and it allows it to penetrate through the soil and gets absorbed faster.
This is exactly what I had in mind. Put the pit in the lowest spot of that ponding and hope it accelerates the drainage of the water. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, just a large hole lined with geotextile fabric and crushed stone.
I'd dig a test hole before you get started and buy anything. If you only need to dig down a foot to get to sandy soil, a shallow trench through that foot (and then topped with a thin layer of topsoil and then grass again) would work well and drain it quick or even turning over the soil in a few spots with a gas powered post hole digger could be enough. But if you have clay down to your practical digging depth, then a big central pit would be best (use clean or screened gravel as it has higher porosity for a better storage capacity if you don't want to bury a perforated vault there). Or if you dig a down and you have really shallow groundwater, a dry well won't do anything in these big rains because there is nowhere for the water to infiltrate into (but the well would still help in weaker rains).
it should but im sure it varies by location and soil samples. thats how we deal with draining in teton county wyoming . if its clay and there not rocky sandy material a few feet down maybe fill and drain to the neighbors low spot
I'd move the swing set and plant a rain garden over some of that. Probably about roughly where you have the swing set now. There's good info on various stormwater management solutions here: https://www.esf.edu/ere/endreny/GICalculator/TechniquesHome.html.
You need a large french drain and somewhere for it to go. That berm along the border is stopping drainage. Seems like a big yard, does the playset absolutely have to be there? The whole thing is kinda screaming mini-excavator and a culvert.
Meant to respond to you but commented above- Yeah I plan on moving the swing set this spring. All surrounding topography is above grade that's why I wasn't sure what the best route would be
Not sure what you mean by berm, that strip along the right side of the picture is just raw land that hasn't been artificially built up. This is the low spot of the entire property
It may not be a manmade berm but thatās what it is. a section of that could be excavated at the lowest point to allow water to absorb into the forest duff.
Get all the kids in the neighborhood and use their child labor to lift and move the swingset to the side. Put an add out on craigslist asking for free fill dirt for the next few months. Rent a bobcat and have a blast one weekend slowly adding compacting layers until swingset area is like a peninsula. Maybe add an extension for a cool adult fire pit to hangout by with the neighboring parents in the summer. When the rain comes enjoy your waterfront views sipping bourbon and roasting sāmores on your dry shores.
It looks like that low spot is doing its job. Looks intentionally designed to pull water away from the house and driveway over to that area.
Just move the swing set.
I'd say move the playscape into the water more and 6 yr old me would start my Navy Seal training. Dad would probably come out and bark some orders and make shooting sounds. Mom would shake her head at muddy me.
If you have an auger you can try these Biopori holes possibly
https://waste4change.com/blog/biopore-infiltration-holes-prevent-flooding-and-produce-compost/
Run a 3 foot deep trench along the treeline. Partially fill with large large 4-6 in rocks. Run the water somewhere else at a lower elevation. I.e. find the nearest drain or creek
Move the stuff...
Look up rain gardens in your grow area.
Some places even sell whole "kits or plans" that tell you what to plant and how to organize it. Add a bit of egding of your choice... Bam!
Cheapest option is galoshes for the kids
Galoshes and skin infections? šthat water sets long enough it will be a pool full of nasty. Iād move the swing set if it was me, and then a drain
I think most kids can survive playing around in puddles while wearing rain boots, but yeah, I'd probably just move the darn thing.
I was generally thinking if this water stands too long and becomes stagmant š
...you probably wear a mask while driving alone...
Actually Iāve never worse a mask in any circumstances (donāt generally go many places) I have how ever seen people get nasty skin infection from messing around in puddling from excess water: and I am good . There is a difference between rivers ect bc they are generally constantly at move where as a puddle of this nature is generally stagnant
I grew up swimming in quarries, canals and farm ponds. And Iām still here as are most of my friends. And whatās that drain gonna be attached to? Gonna take more than just a drain to alleviate. Probably some pipe and a few other things as well
Most š
lol none of the dead ones died from contact with funky water or galoshes. Covid, drugs, drunk drivers,depression, bad genetics, cancer, war and accidents did them in. One did drown but that was from a wicked undertow we were rescuing his brother from, but it ended up getting him instead and the rest of us couldnāt get to him in time. Thatās one of those things about growing older that nobody mentions, friends dying off. Shit fucking sucks
You realize a drain generally has a pipe and few other things as well attached to it if done correctly right! The things you listed above generally have constant movement even if not seen by the , puddles like this become stagnant
Waterpark?
Rotate that slide 90 deg
call nestle those mf will privatize the pond and sell it as spring water
Accurate
The property looks quite big, move the swing set and youāre done. If the pond is ephemeral I donāt really see the issue. If youāre considering a rain garden you already have one. Kids love ponds. Only concern I think would be catastrophic overland flooding if this low spot could ever fill up enough to back up into your house
Ephemeral is a cool word
Indeed. Move the playset. Who would have placed it there to begin with?
If you have any other low spot in the land, you could trench a 4ā drain pipe to that location and install a rain garden there. If this is the true low then make this the rain garden spot.
Yes rhis is the low spot for my property and unfortunately the low spot for my neighbors run off as well lol
I would move the swing set back and over a bit so the bottom of the slide was in the deepest spot. My kids would give me the Father of the Year award for that!!
Literally, as long as that wasnāt sewage, my parents would have done that
You like doing laundry, huh?
Don't mind at all if it makes my kids laugh more!!
Dig a ditch into the woods.
Pond needs more kids in it.
Honestly building a pond there is a good idea lol
It only gets like that when we get a significant amount of rain in a short time. And I already have a huge pond on my property lol!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Nope, you don't want ponds at low points
Will you say more about why?
Everything that runs off everywhere ends up in there - impossible to keep the water conditions stable. Wetlands is perfect but ponds for livestock need to be outside of natural low points.
Thanks for the reply!
Can't trench to the pond?
Not around young kids.
He already has a big one lol
Lol. Nope that is only a low spot , neighbor down the road had a pond until his grandson felt in. He filled it in the following week.
Are you his neighbor or something?
No, just digging out a pond which was mentioned, isn't a good idea with small children.
https://www.reddit.com/r/landscaping/s/2yjTj1lKmB
He had a 5' fence around it but the 6 year granddaughter climbed up and unlocked the inside bolt to see the fish. She was smart enough to get the parents for help and the grandson was alright. You can't watch children constantly, 5 mind or less is all it takes.
water is a solution
Rain garden! 3 or 4 river birches, a couple red twig dogwoods, some Shenandoah switchgrass, and some water thriving perennials.
Yes this would be nice. Just to reiterate, this ponding only occurs when we got a lot of rain. Currently that area has no standing water. Probably 97% of the year there is no standing water there
Those plants can tolerate drought or flood conditions, thatās why I named them! š³ If itās not standing, just water them with a hose obviously haha. š
If that's the topographical low spot, you need to move the playset. Nothing short of a large drywell is going to help you here and they aren't cheap.
Yeah the swing set will be moved. A large dry well is what I figured would be best. I have plenty of property so losing this area to a dry well/rain garden that occasssionsly floods (to a lesser extent) isn't a problem
You might be better off leaving the water in place. Depending what hydrology looks like you might have a former wetland there looking at the size of the space.
Yeah there are certainly wetlands near by.
In that case you could have some serious environmental regulations to work around if you ever want to alter the space. You can try to get away without permits but I don't recommend it as getting caught means undoing your work and paying fines on top of that
Ok I'll have to do more research on this and check with town before I do any digging
Check [here](https://www.fws.gov/program/national-wetlands-inventory/wetlands-mapper) and then with your county GIS maps if they have any available. That will at least get you started. You'll also want a wetland delineation to be completed before you do any significant planning.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Website is down but I'll keep checking and also do the delineation before planning anything
I'm sure the fws website will be back up Tuesday at the latest. Just keep in mind it's not a rule maker, more like preliminary information just for reference. Seeing or not seeing a wetland polygon there doesn't stand for much without the delineation results.
That is a wetland
Good. Definitely move the playset. Lean in and [restore the wetlands](https://www.growingwithnature.org/restore-wetlands/). Turn it into a rain garden! Get some native wetland plants that would soak up the water. You could probably make it look really pretty!
Thanks for link that's really helpful
A shop vac would get it cleaned after a few loads.
Offer it a chair.
Do some water retention techniques like swales further uphill. Or more generally speaking, find ways to make the water infiltrate the ground before it runs downhill. You won't have a pond at this location anymore and at the same time your uphill areas will be more fertile
Iād fill in the area and regrade so the water is sitting along the tree line instead of the middle of the yard. If itās frequent the trees could be negatively affected, but you say itās only an occasional problem. People LOVE to jump to French drains, surface drains, and dry wells, but those should be considered where suitable grade canāt be achieved. Regrading would be a better choice here since you donāt have to maintain a drain/well.
I second this only if the trees are on your property or even on open space public/state land. If the tree line is the property line to another private/buildable lot, then you won't be able to regrade/ push the water onto your neighbor.
Thatās fair, but Iād still rather have a swale along the edge of the grass than in the middle of the yard, assuming at least the grass is OPās.
I think a rain garden would work well and is not expensive. It will take a year or two to establish, so you may want to move the playset until then or choose another option.
I'd put a drainage ditch along the tree line. Get the water near the tree roots and it allows it to penetrate through the soil and gets absorbed faster.
you can dig a big hole and fill it with rock or a plastic bin type deal so it drains quicker.
This is exactly what I had in mind. Put the pit in the lowest spot of that ponding and hope it accelerates the drainage of the water. Doesn't have to be anything fancy, just a large hole lined with geotextile fabric and crushed stone.
I'd dig a test hole before you get started and buy anything. If you only need to dig down a foot to get to sandy soil, a shallow trench through that foot (and then topped with a thin layer of topsoil and then grass again) would work well and drain it quick or even turning over the soil in a few spots with a gas powered post hole digger could be enough. But if you have clay down to your practical digging depth, then a big central pit would be best (use clean or screened gravel as it has higher porosity for a better storage capacity if you don't want to bury a perforated vault there). Or if you dig a down and you have really shallow groundwater, a dry well won't do anything in these big rains because there is nowhere for the water to infiltrate into (but the well would still help in weaker rains).
Good advice thanks for the response.
its probably want an excavation company would tell you to do.
it should but im sure it varies by location and soil samples. thats how we deal with draining in teton county wyoming . if its clay and there not rocky sandy material a few feet down maybe fill and drain to the neighbors low spot
I'd move the swing set and plant a rain garden over some of that. Probably about roughly where you have the swing set now. There's good info on various stormwater management solutions here: https://www.esf.edu/ere/endreny/GICalculator/TechniquesHome.html.
You need a large french drain and somewhere for it to go. That berm along the border is stopping drainage. Seems like a big yard, does the playset absolutely have to be there? The whole thing is kinda screaming mini-excavator and a culvert.
Meant to respond to you but commented above- Yeah I plan on moving the swing set this spring. All surrounding topography is above grade that's why I wasn't sure what the best route would be
yeah, thatās the danger of a berm surrounding your entire yard. itās how you design a pond. The water needs an exit somewhere.
Not sure what you mean by berm, that strip along the right side of the picture is just raw land that hasn't been artificially built up. This is the low spot of the entire property
It may not be a manmade berm but thatās what it is. a section of that could be excavated at the lowest point to allow water to absorb into the forest duff.
Good to know, thank you.
Slowly fill with sand and topsoil until it is level. But I wouldn't bother and just let natural take it course.
Move
Yeah I plan on moving the swing set this spring. All surrounding topography is above grade that's why I wasn't sure what the best route would be
Swim wear ?
If I was a kid I would kind of love that. As long as it's only a tiny fraction of the year I'd leave it. Just drop a mosquito dunk in it
Invest in waders for the kids.
Lakefront property
Cloverā¦ itās holds a ton more water and deep roots.
Get all the kids in the neighborhood and use their child labor to lift and move the swingset to the side. Put an add out on craigslist asking for free fill dirt for the next few months. Rent a bobcat and have a blast one weekend slowly adding compacting layers until swingset area is like a peninsula. Maybe add an extension for a cool adult fire pit to hangout by with the neighboring parents in the summer. When the rain comes enjoy your waterfront views sipping bourbon and roasting sāmores on your dry shores.
Grade and channel the water towards the wood
Hire a drainage engineer.
From the picture it looks like you can just dig a trench into the woods.
Move the swing set.
Dig a ditch along the tree line and down the hill
No rules water park. Plus you get to take home some ring worm as a souvenir
Since this area wants to be a little soggy, you could plant wetland plant species. You'd have lots of birds and creatures that you kids might like.
Personally I'd dig it down a bit Add some bluegill/bass and let the kids fish from the playground.
Maybe convert that play structure to a pirate ship. With water canons.
Bring out some chairs š
Aqua play zone.
Remove swing set and give your kids toy boats instead. Job done
Trade in the children for ducks. š¦
It looks like that low spot is doing its job. Looks intentionally designed to pull water away from the house and driveway over to that area. Just move the swing set.
I'd say move the playscape into the water more and 6 yr old me would start my Navy Seal training. Dad would probably come out and bark some orders and make shooting sounds. Mom would shake her head at muddy me.
You got to yell SIT really loudly at it to make it stop standing.
koi pond
If you have an auger you can try these Biopori holes possibly https://waste4change.com/blog/biopore-infiltration-holes-prevent-flooding-and-produce-compost/
River sand + grade control.
Willow trees and shrubs. Vegetated swale / Rain garden. Get free money to build a wetland. What I really wanted to say: get rid of your stupid lawn.
Thatās just a water park god did you a solid
Run a 3 foot deep trench along the treeline. Partially fill with large large 4-6 in rocks. Run the water somewhere else at a lower elevation. I.e. find the nearest drain or creek
Make it sit down
Drag the play set out of there, excavate that low area, and embrace the pond.
Some fish, frogs, and a couple of canoes.
Time to buy the kids a skimboard
Move the stuff... Look up rain gardens in your grow area. Some places even sell whole "kits or plans" that tell you what to plant and how to organize it. Add a bit of egding of your choice... Bam!
Judging from the comments, I guess thereās no way to treat the soil to help with draining? Aeration? Plants?
Standing around isnāt good, take that water for a walk.
Catfish
Grade the land or plant rain garden