A homeowner who was fed up with erosion in their yard turned the path of the water into an artificial creek bed and posted footage of the upgrade on Reddit.
"Year 3 for the creek bed I made and still working like a charm in this storm," wrote the original poster.
The video (click here if the embed does not appear) shows an artificial stream bed full of round river rocks running between two established trees down the property. It empties into the street, guiding a flood of rainwater into the gutter.
Many homeowners use artificial creek beds to guide the flow of water on their property. This can help prevent erosion and keep excess water away from the home's foundations to prevent flooding.
However, commenters pointed out a problem.
"Unfortunately, this would be illegal in most communities where I live," said one user. "Not allowed to direct any drainage of any kind off one's own property, and certainly not onto public roads."
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So, what's the alternative?
"If you're open to suggestions, I would say to 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," said another commenter. "You could also divert some flow to a rainwater collection system to help water your lawn and garden."
Native plants are great for rain gardens because they are low-maintenance and cheap to keep. They're well adapted for the local area, and they can thrive on just the native rainfall.
Species that grow in marshy areas are made to cling to muddy soil and survive currents of water, and their deep roots help the water sink into the ground.
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If the original poster rewilded this section of their yard, they could end up with a beautiful, thriving rain garden, which would get watered for free while taking care of their flooding issue in a way that is less likely to result in legal problems. Not bad for a few garden plants!
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