A resourceful homeowner's solution to flooding and erosion impressed the r/landscaping community. The Redditor shared a clip showcasing their artificial creek bed, featuring round river rocks, effectively diverting water from their yard to the gutters on the street after a storm.
The homeowner said the system was in its third year and "still working like a charm." It's undeniable that the creek successfully took water between two trees to the street, sparing the lawn and property in an aesthetically pleasing way.
"Without the creek bed the water still gushed in this area and destroyed plants and eroded the soil," they revealed. "Now it's controlled and flows clean."
Redditors loved the execution, and the OP noted that even when dry, the yard feature looked good and earned compliments. They also said there was minimal maintenance.
"As a civil engineer, who primarily deals with stormwater design, this makes me VERY happy to see," a commenter wrote. "Well done."
"I built a very similar system for myself," another user revealed. "Neighbors thought I was crazy until they saw how well it worked."
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Their execution did spark some further discussion when it came to its legality and practicality. Other commenters pointed out that directing runoff to the street may not be allowed in some areas or under the codes of HOAs.
For homeowners in that situation, they proposed the idea of a rain garden as a more suitable alternative to an artificial creek, using native plants to absorb rainwater and reduce flow.
"Try planting some native wetland species in and along that creekbed to decrease flow rate and promote pulling water down into the soil, helping to retain groundwater," one wrote. "You could also divert some flow to a rainwater collection system to help water your lawn and garden."
Homeowners can enjoy numerous advantages by switching to native-plant lawns, beyond stormwater runoff provided by a rain garden.
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Those selling points include reduced maintenance costs and efforts, as well as lower water bills. Options like clover, buffalo grass, and xeriscaping provide diverse, low-maintenance alternatives. Even partially replacing traditional lawns with these options can offer significant benefits.
A fellow user apparently seemed to have the best of both worlds.
"I did the same thing around 2 years ago and it has been awesome," they wrote. "Stopped my soil erosion and some wildflowers now grow in it."
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