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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2020 12:14pm - Edited by: Smawgunner
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My drive was graveled about 6 years ago but it's in rough shape again. Problem is that water literally pours off the hill and down the side, creating a rut at the edge. I don't get a lot of rain coming down the driveway that's NOT from the hill. The only serious rut is at the side from water off the hill.
Question....should I use water bars say every 30 feet...or should I use some kind of drain tile on the side down the length of the drive? There is LOTS of debris and I fear the drain would clog quickly.
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DaveBell
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2020 01:11pm - Edited by: DaveBell
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Can you post some pictures from the bottom of the hill looking up?
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2020 01:31pm
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Just added one.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2020 05:27pm - Edited by: DaveBell
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You have to divert the water from the hill before it gets to the driveway by digging a ditch on the uphill side.
You then need grade/slope the driveway one way or the other to handle the rain that falls onto the driveway. Probably grade it high on the hillside and low on the street side. You can go either way on sloping the driveway, just need to not allow the water to get a running start.
Water bars by them selves will deteriorate over time from tires and water flow.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2020 05:31pm
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Look at Andrew Camarata videos on youtube, he is a master at diverting water from driveways.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2020 05:48pm
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Is that a nice poison ivy vine growing up that left tree?
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2020 06:31pm
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Quoting: DaveBell Is that a nice poison ivy vine growing up that left tree?
Virginia creeper 
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2020 08:19pm
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Thanks all. I've been digging a 4-6 inch trough every year at the right where the hill comes down. Problem is I'm getting older and it's a muther. It fills quickly with leaves and mud. Is there a drainage pipe I could use or would that just get clogged?
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2020 08:30pm
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Rent a big backhoe. They deliver. I'm 61, I let the hydraulics do the work.
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Irrigation Guy
Member
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2020 08:42pm
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Just a thought, could you ditch out the high side a bit and line with 4-6†rip-rap?
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Smawgunner
Member
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# Posted: 9 Feb 2020 09:09pm
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I thought about rip-rap. I think it'd get buried in mud/leaves and then I'd have to dig it out for plan B.
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FishHog
Member
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2020 08:27am
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A larger ditch should let most of the leaves flow down with water but I’m not sure there is anyway to stop a ditch from slowing filling in.
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old243
Member
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2020 09:08am
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I would recommend thinning the bush out on both sides, let the sun in to dry it out. Ditch it on the upper side , or a culvert across part way up if necessary. old 243
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snobdds
Member
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2020 10:42am
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The problem with water bars is they eventually fill with sediment, then you're back to square one.
I have seen people use old highway guardrails dug into road way as a water bar. They work surprising well. Plus it's easy to clean out the silt a couple of times a year. You can drive over them with no worries of breaking them.
Youtube has lots of videos on how this is done.
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paulz
Member
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2020 11:51am
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My driveway is steep and also cut into a hillside. Always been a mess with water cutting trenches down the middle. Last fall I dug a ditch along the uphill side and also cambered the driveway towards the ditch, figuring it was safer in the event of a vehicle mishap.
Been great so far, no more trenches down the center.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2020 12:23pm
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Like snobdds said. Water bars will just fill up or worse. Erode a few spots real bad.
You have no high side ditch so will never fix the issue with out one. Re direct all the water coming off the hill to the top side of that culvert. Yes this is going to be work and you may loose a tree or two but there's really no way around it. Dig from the top side and put the dirt on the low side, then re gravel. If you have spots that are flat use driveway fabric to keep the stone mixing with the dirt.
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DaveBell
Moderator
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# Posted: 10 Feb 2020 01:46pm
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Plan on taking that hill back six feet, 2 feet for the ditch and at least 4 feet to bevel the hill. Then plant some nice ground cover on the bevel to control/slow erosion. You can save that right hand tree at the bottom. Make that driveway pretty Marine!
Quoting: Brettny Dig from the top side and put the dirt on the low side
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