Subject: water management
From: "Alice P. Hawrilenko" <alice@tiac.net>
Organization: The Internet Access Company, Inc.
Date: 10 Jan 1998 22:28:21 GMT
Message-ID: <MOD$980110.17270@rec.gardens.ecosystems>


Hi,
I'm new to your list. After scanning the various gardening lists out there
it seems this might be the one that could handle my question? If not please
point me in the right direction if you can. The back of my property is a
largely untended mixed coniferous (red pine and hemlock) and hardwood
border woods. The northern edge and the eastern edge of the property are
bounded by drainage ditches which the town will not maintain. These ditches
were originally designed to carry street runoff into a small wetland that
feeds into a retention pond at the east end of the development. Over the
years as the ditches filled with dead sand the runoff began to work into
the center of the back of my property. That area is now wet a goood deal of
the time but the water is pretty stagnant. Rather than fight the town,
canvas all my neighbors for releases so that the town can mess up their
landscaping in order to access the ditches and basically make a nuisance of
myself I've decided I need to deal with problem I have in the best way I
can. It has occurred to me that if I create a small dam where the ditch
runoff has eroded my land and reinforce the edges of the ditches with brush
or something???? I could create a water element around which to landscape a
bird and butterfly woodland retreat. I think I would need to install a pump
to keep the water from stagnating but would it also be necessary to line
the pond that would result? If not, how would I go about preventing further
erosion? Does this seem like a feasible idea or would it be prohibitively
expensive? Can anyone recommend good books on this subject? Has anyone here
done anything like this? Thanks in advance.
Alice