Making a small swale?

[Innovate1]

The road to my new detached garage rises slightly as it goes to the garage and the right side is sloped slightly upward. Sitting on the road the slope upwards is about 2 o'clock for direction - slightly forward of directly to the right. The water is running down the gravel lanes but I plan to bring in more gravel to raise the road a few inches and want to keep the water from running across the road. After it runs about 100 feet there is a good sized berm on the right side so am thinking of putting a small depression there with a sump and a 6" pipe under the road. It doesn't drain a large area and 6" should handle even the big storms. My question is how to dig the swail. I only want to go down about 6" and keep it about 4' wide. Wondering if a few passes with a sod cutter might work. I could borrow a tractor with front end loader but that wont give me the slope I need.

 

[nadogail]

Changes to drainage, particularly if they affect a property other than your own often lead to time spent in court.

My advice is to consult with the AHJ, and get all your bases covered.

 

[rburke65]

I had my excavator guy take out 9 trees and dig a swale to direct rain water, down over a hill and back to the woods trying to control the water. Worked out well. He dug it with a small bobcat track hoe. About 13” deep, but took the dirt and spread it to the righ5 n left of the swale.

 

[Innovate1]

Changes to drainage, particularly if they affect a property other than your own often lead to time spent in court.

My advice is to consult with the AHJ, and get all your bases covered.

Doesn't affect any other property and the AHJ doesn't care.

 

[Bretny]

4' wide and 6" deep. Use a tiller and shovel with wheel Barrow.

 

[rburke65]

As above, 6” deep n 4’ wide will control a lot of water.

 

[gearhead1]

Depending on location depends on how smooth I want it. I did one through the woods and left it as a trench. After a couple years, the edges are smooth even though it was in the woods and nobody driving, walking, or mowing on it.

A rototiller can be used to loosen it up and din the deep part down. Use a landscape rake to smooth the edges.

I have a swale across my driveway to let water across and a little goes a long way for water diversion.

A friend has a long driveway downhill toward his house. I loosen everything up with a tractor and box blade with the digging feet down. Then I make diversions across the driveway by making gentle angled berms. Those gentle angled berms divert the water to the side of the driveway away from the house. They’re gentle and you can easily drive over them, easier than a speed bump, but they get the job done.

 

[like2wheel]

Changes to drainage, particularly if they affect a property other than your own often lead to time spent in court.

My advice is to consult with the AHJ, and get all your bases covered.

Doesn't affect any other property and the AHJ doesn't care.

Not to mention it has absolutely nothing to do with the question that was asked.

Meanwhile a small box blade on a tractor would be ideal.
I have my doubts about how effective the sod cutter would be after the 1st pass & the sod is removed. 6" deep is a lot to ask from that machine.

 

[haveissues]

Can you borrow a back blade along with the tractor? That would make short work of it.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I cut one in my driveway with the FEL of my sub-compact. It's not huge and does leave a bump but it directs the water to the edge of the driveway.

I think you can get most of the angle you need if you have access to all sides of the swale.