Surface Water Control
Sometimes the simplest drainage idea is the right one: shape the ground so water has a clear place to go. Drainage swales and graded ditches can move surface runoff across a property without allowing it to spread through a yard, follow a driveway or cut its own erosion channel. ELMS plans this work around the surrounding grade and where the water can safely continue after it leaves the problem area.
A drainage swale is a shaped low area that encourages surface water to follow a deliberate route.
A drainage ditch serves a similar purpose where a more defined channel is appropriate.
Neither should be treated as an isolated trench.
The inlet, slope, path and outlet all affect whether the drainage actually works.
Surface water moving across a yard toward structures or low ground.
Runoff heading into or along residential access.
Water creating its own path through the property.
Water that needs to move around a pad or improvement.
A channel that has lost its shape or route.
Moving water away from one spot is only useful if the new route does not create a second problem.
ELMS looks beyond the wet area itself.
We consider where the water enters the drainage path, how the grade carries it and what happens when it reaches the end of the swale or ditch.
That whole path matters.
Different drainage tools solve different problems.
A swale or ditch primarily carries surface water along the ground.
A culvert allows water to pass beneath a driveway or access route.
Regrading changes the land itself so water naturally travels in a better direction.
Some properties may use more than one of these approaches together.
Read: Swale vs. Culvert vs. Regrading →A swale is a shaped portion of the grade that creates a preferred route for surface runoff. It is designed to move water through or around an area instead of allowing it to spread or erode its own path.
They perform related functions, but a ditch is generally a more defined drainage channel while a swale can be broader and integrated more gradually into the surrounding grade.
It can help when the problem is caused by surface runoff that needs a better path. Standing water can have different causes, so the property should be evaluated before assuming a swale is the right fix.
A culvert is useful when water needs to cross beneath a driveway, road or other access route rather than travel beside it.
We stand behind qualifying work with a minimum 5 year warranty. When planning, preparation, and installation are done correctly, long-term performance should be expected.
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