Stormwater runoff can move fast in East Texas, especially during heavy rain, and when it does, soil tends to wash out along sloped and bare banks, which would have benefited from preventative landscaping.
Gardener and landscaper Jennie Gardens (@Texasgardening) posted a TikTok from East Texas showing a landscaped dry creek bed built along a utility easement that slopes down to a lake to help during those extra rainy moments.
"We're slowing the water along this electrical easement … and it goes all the way down to the lake to drain. The whole idea is that all of these little rocks and pebbles will hold the banks in place," Jennie says in the video.
@texasgardening This landscaped creek bed helps prevent erosion by slowing the flow of stormwater along a utility easement. It also serves as a beautiful landscape feature when it is dry. #texasgardening #gardener #raingarden #landscaper #drycreek #rainwater #gardenproject #stormwatermanagement #greeninfrastructure #greengardening ♬ original sound - JennieGardens
The video also mentions that the perennials help hold the banks in place, as well as manage pools on the ground from rain, where water cascades down different levels to reach the lake. It gives the water a chance to slowly drain out without washing everything down with it.
A dry creek bed is made up of both hardscape (rocks and boulders) as well as plants whose root systems can stabilize the soil. When it is raining, the water can flow slowly, and when it isn't raining, the features are a dry, beautiful landscape to enjoy.
Property owners can create their own dry creek beds to prevent erosion, which damages foundations, costs money in soil loss, and degrades the landscape over time. Not only do adding features like this reduce those risks, but they also require less maintenance than frequent heavy landscaping or repairs. In addition, plantings along dry creek beds can boost habitat value and biodiversity, especially when native plants are used.
"I want more rain! That cascade sounds so nice," one TikTok user commented under the post.
"I love this so much so incredibly peaceful," another added.
"I've seen that house from the lake!!!!! always admired the hard work," a third wrote, praising the dry creek bed as a landscaping choice.
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