Do You Need a Swale?

A swale may be in your future. Swales are grassy depressions in the ground designed to collect storm water runoff from streets, driveways, rooftops, and parking lots. The grass in the swale removes pollutants from storm water as the water infiltrates the soil.

If water stands within 10 feet of your foundation for more than an hour after rains stop, you may benefit from a swale. A swale is simply a shallow ditch that is used to carry off water. Swales are often so wide and so shallow that you don't notice them. Swales must slope downhill, and therefore must be deeper as they get longer. For a relatively flat yard, a swale will generally drop 1 inch for every 10 feet of length.

As you can see with the help of some extra annotation, swales don't have to be eyesores. Learn more about them by talking to the experts at Integrity.