Swales follow the contours around the base of a natural or created slope, redirecting storm water and filtering runoff as it sinks into the soil, instead of keeping it in one place, like a rain garden. Plants suck up the water along a swale's gently sloping banks and sometimes down the center of the channel.

How do you set up swales?

1. Step 1: Evaluate the Slope. Construction of a swale begins with analyzing the slope of the yard and water runoff patterns to plan the route for the swale ditch. ...
2. Step 2: Lay Out the Swale. ...
3. Step 3: Excavate the Swale Ditch. ...
4. Step 4: Lay Gravel and Drain Tile. ...
5. Step 5: Finish the Swale.

When should you not use swales?

Swales are not appropriate on steep landscapes. Any area with more than a fifteen-degree slope (about 1:3.75) isn't appropriate for installing swales, as the water saturation may cause slides, which could be dangerous.

Where do you put swales?

One of the best places to build a bio-swale is at the bottom of a pasture or a chicken run where they will soak up manure-laden runoff and concentrate it in a location where you can plant a crop to make use of the nutrients – rather than letting the nutrients wash downslope into the nearest waterway, where they would ...

How do you use garden swales?

Swales are shallow channels designed to SLOW water down, SPREAD it out and allow it to SINK into the soil during low flows.
...
DON'T

1. Install in soils with high water tables or saturated clay soils without an overflow device.
2. Place too close to your home's foundation.
3. Allow leaf litter to accumulate.

How Swales Work, Permaculture at MADE Farms

What are swales used for?

WHAT IS A SWALE? Swales are one of the most commonly used stormwater practices. For many years they have been used along rural highways and residential streets to convey runoff. Today, swales not only convey stormwater but also help to treat runoff to reduce pollutants.

How do I deal with my neighbors water runoff?

1. Build a Berm. ...
2. Route the Water into a Dry Well. ...
3. Use a French Catch Basin. ...
4. Residing at the Bottom of a Slope. ...
5. Your Neighbor Makes a Change to Their Landscaping. ...
6. Severe Weather Conditions. ...
7. Drowns Your Plants and Grass. ...
8. Turns Your Yard Into a Pest Paradise.

Does gravel help drainage?

Landscaping gravel also provides much-needed drainage so that water doesn't collect around the roots. Gravel and stone are easy to spread and easy to maintain.

Are Swales effective?

Vegetated swales are most effective on soils that allow infiltration. If infiltration is desired, the underlying soil drainage rate should exceed 0.5 inches per hour. ... Drainage area and slope: Swales can be used to treat runoff from small drainage areas with up to 5 acres of impervious surface.

How can I improve the drainage in my yard?

1. Reduce Your Watering Schedule. ...
2. Extend Your Downspout. ...
3. Dig a Creek Bed or Swale. ...
4. Construct a Rain Garden. ...
5. Install a French Drain and/or Dry Well.

Can I plant trees in a swale?

SWALES are water harvesting ditches on contour. They are extremely useful and an important design element for permaculture designers. ... Trees are always planted directly downhill of each swale, so that when it rains and the swales fill up, the rain sinks slowly into the soil directly into the roots of our trees.

Do I need a swale?

The primary purpose of most swales in dry climates is to protect structures and to slow down or divert water. While it might seem like our drought-prone state would not need much in the way of excess water management, drainage swales are a critical part of flood prevention and help keep our ground water cleaner.

How close can a swale be to a house?

A: A swale is simply a shallow ditch that is used to carry off water. Swales are often so wide and so shallow that you do not notice them. On most city lots, where homes are 10 to 15 feet apart, there is a swale between the homes.

What does swale mean?

: a low-lying or depressed and often wet stretch of land also : a shallow depression on a golf course.

What is the difference between a ditch and a swale?

To put it simply, a ditch is made to carry water away and a swale is made to collect and slowly release water into the landscape.

What is a rock swale?

Rock lined and vegetated swales are conveyance systems designed, shaped, and lined to convey surface runoff in a non-erosive manner downstream, preferably to a treatment and/or infiltration system. ... Swales can be used to convey runoff both to and from underground storm drain systems.

How much does it cost to build a swale?

Swales are simple to construct and normally cost around $0.50 per foot to install.

How deep should a gravel drain be?

The trench should be about 300-500mm deep, and dug so that it slopes at a ratio of 1:50. That means that for every 2 meters of trench length, it should fall 40mm.

Should I put rocks in my ditch?

The bottom line, according to this Do It Yourself article, is that drainage ditches exist to prevent water buildup on your property. Lining your small trench with natural stone helps shape the ditch. Stones will also slow the growth of grass and weeds, which can in turn slow the drain of water.

Can water go through gravel?

Water moves through gravel a lot faster than it does through the majority of soil and other materials. Since the drainage process is expedited when gravel is used at the base of the water body, puddles and wet areas are able to dry out quickly instead of pooling up on top of soil and other land materials.

How do you divert water down a hill?

1. Construct a French drain.
2. Build a rock drainage ditch or swale.
3. Terrace the hillside to stop soil erosion.
4. Build a berm or mound that redirects water.
5. Plant the slope with trees or grass to soak up floodwater and hold soil in place.

How do I divert my flood water away from my house?

1. Clean Your Gutters. This task is both simple and free. ...
2. Extend Your Downspouts. ...
3. Create A Rain Garden. ...
4. Install A Rain Barrel. ...
5. Seal The Driveway. ...
6. Install A French Drain. ...
7. Improve The Grading. ...
8. Install A Sump Pump.

How do you slope water away from a house?

Ideally, the ground should drop 1 inch for every 1 foot that you move away from the house for the first 5-to-10 feet around your house. While this is not always possible, the ground should never be sloping upwards as you move away from your house foundation.

Is a swale a soakaway?

A swale is a shallow drainage channel with gentle side slopes in the ground where water running off a site can collect and soak away. You can also use swales to carry water through a site. ... Swales can run alongside roads so that run-off from the road surface can drain directly to the swale.