The Stormwater Solution You Should Double-Check The Legality Of In Your Area

Those of us with sloped properties and rainy climates have to contend with water flowing across our yards, sometimes washing out the landscaping elements we've tried so hard to get just right. Adding a dry creek bed to your yard may turn out to be an excellent stormwater drainage solution for your home – but you'll first want to double-check that this landscaping feature is designed and installed properly to avoid any legal problems.

Also occurring naturally in undeveloped riparian areas and referred to as "arroyos," dry creek beds are landscaping features that help move rainwater from one location to another in an intentional manner. Essentially sloped trenches lined with rocks, dry creek beds also help slow the movement of rainwater, allow it to better infiltrate the ground soil. These landscaping structures — also known as dry river beds or dry stream beds – can be incorporated into your yard as beautiful intermittent water features, in addition to their more practical purpose. 

However, there are a couple of concerns which could bring up questions of legality if you don't check your design of this stormwater solution and make sure the installation lives up to its promise.

Whatever type of area you live in, make sure the water you are diverting with your dry creek bed doesn't flow into your neighbor's yard; otherwise, you may be faced with legal concerns. You don't want to be the neighbor whose landscaping is flooding someone's yard when it rains. Another concern with using this stormwater solution can arise if the runoff is pouring into the street, where it will add to the load of your local stormwater management system. Instead, as much of the rainwater as possible should soak into the soil on your own property. Homeowners should double-check where the water from the dry stream bed ends up to prevent problems.

To avoid worrying about the legality of a dry stream bed, you may want to direct the water into a rain garden, another smart solution for excess stormwater flooding your yard. If the water rerouted by the dry creek bed isn't washing into the street or draining onto a neighbor's property, you shouldn't have any legal problems to worry about. However, check with your local codes on water runoff to make sure your design won't get you into trouble.