Drainage Blog

Ecologically Friendly Drainage Solutions

Water runoff is the number 1 contributor to our oceans pollution. In nature there is no development, no pavement, and no chemical fertilizers or pesticides. Natures answer to too much water on a property is to let it soak into the ground slowly. This allows the water to return to the underground water table.

When too much water hits modern landscapes it runs off into storm sewers which dump into streams and rivers which eventually get to the ocean carrying all the pollutants that are in our modern landscape.

There are 3 ecologically friendly answers that can be applied to modern landscape to help combat this problem.

1 Retention ponds - These are being built by newer subdivisions and are a good way to let the water drain back into the water table by filtering back into the underground water table.

2 Organic fertilizer and pesticides - Change from chemical fertilizers and pesticides to organic fertilizers and pesticides.

3 Water gardens - In the case where drainage problems on your property have no ecological outlet, the answer is a water garden. Water gardens are a 8 to 10 inch depression in the ground usually placed at the lowest place on the property. Then you run drain tile from all gutter down spouts and water problem areas into this depression. Inside this depression you plant water garden plants.

These plants are plants that like to be over watered and even have their root systems submerged in water. Another feature of water plants, are that they have deep root systems which break through the top layer of clay. This allows the water to drain back into the underground water table easier.

There are many water garden plants that will work in Illinois. Here is a list of water garden plants that I use. Sporobolus, Panicum, Miscanthus purpurescens, Cornus sericea, Cornus racemosam, Betula nigra,, Acer rubrum, Acer saccharum, Aronia, Clethra, Eupatorium, Dicentra, Heliopsis, Ilex glabra, Ilex,,, verticillata, Hosta, Iris versicolor, Nyssa, Hemerocallis, Polemonium, Quercus bicolor, Sisyrinchium,,,, Solidago, Viburnum dentatums, and Viburnum prunifolium.

If you have a drainage problem on your property, and you would like a green solution.
A water garden looks great and is very ecologically friendly.

If you would like to research further call Allscape today (847) 769-9529.