Backyard floods like this after a heavy rain. Is this concerning? (First time homeowner. Midwest)
The water generally dissipates after 24 hours. This was after the bulk of a heavy overnight storm this morning. I suspect a lot of this is pond overflow.
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PowerfulFunny5
Do you have a basement? That would not help keep a basement or crawlspace dry
Quick-Falcon-5459
Nothing that money can’t fix. What’s your budget for a French drain?
Xxxjtvxxx
I would install a frech drain to the curb, at least thats what i did in my florida home.
HAM____
Just to answer your question clearly: Yes, this is concerning. Water needs to be managed and have a place to go at all levels of your property.
I’d suggest finding a local business to come out and help game plan a solution based on your budget.
HeKnee
Maybe slope that area toward water feature so it never needs refilled again?
PlainOrganization
How long does the water stay there? Was this a history-making rainstorm or an average one?
According-Taro4835
If that water is fully gone in 24 hours you are lucky because it means your subsoil still has some percolation, but don’t get too comfortable. In the Midwest, that standing water is a freeze-thaw nightmare waiting to happen. See those nice herringbone pavers on the left? If the aggregate base underneath them gets saturated like this and then freezes, those bricks are going to heave and buckle like a rollercoaster. Once that base is compromised, you’re looking at a complete tear-out to fix it.
You have created a bathtub effect where the grade likely slopes away from the shed and the fence but gets trapped by the paver walkway, leaving the water nowhere to go. While the pond overflow might contribute, I’d bet money the shed roof is dumping water right there too if there aren’t gutters redirecting it. You need to check the overflow level on that pond and consider piping it away rather than letting it surface drain, but you also need to address the grade.
Since you are boxed in by hardscaping, you can’t easily regrade the whole yard. Your best bet is soft engineering. Instead of fighting the water, turn that low spot into a functional rain garden or bog area connected to the pond’s aesthetic. Plant thirsty natives like Cardinal Flower, Blue Flag Iris, or Swamp Milkweed that will drink that puddle up and look good doing it. It fixes the drainage issue and stops the pond from looking like a pile of rocks floating in a sea of grass.
Before you start digging trenches or buying plants, toss a photo of this mess into Agrio’s GardenDream. You can overlay a rain garden setup or test out where a dry creek bed might fit to channel that water away. It helps to see if a bog garden actually looks good with your existing layout before you commit to the labor.
gbe276
Id fill that area in and force the water out and around house. Ice and mosquitoes are reason enough. Fill that area, could make it a large planter with a truck load of planting soil. Right answer is French drain, but this setup look like a real pain to do. I’d caution to be sure your fill isn’t blocking water from coming onto the property, just enough so it keeps moving through the property. This is small scale so ok, but larger scale would not be able to fill without permit and mitigated storm volume capacity.
MonthlyWeekend_
The good news is that’s easy to fix, the bad news is you need to decide where to send the water to
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Do you have a basement? That would not help keep a basement or crawlspace dry
Nothing that money can’t fix. What’s your budget for a French drain?
I would install a frech drain to the curb, at least thats what i did in my florida home.
Just to answer your question clearly: Yes, this is concerning. Water needs to be managed and have a place to go at all levels of your property.
I’d suggest finding a local business to come out and help game plan a solution based on your budget.
Maybe slope that area toward water feature so it never needs refilled again?
How long does the water stay there? Was this a history-making rainstorm or an average one?
If that water is fully gone in 24 hours you are lucky because it means your subsoil still has some percolation, but don’t get too comfortable. In the Midwest, that standing water is a freeze-thaw nightmare waiting to happen. See those nice herringbone pavers on the left? If the aggregate base underneath them gets saturated like this and then freezes, those bricks are going to heave and buckle like a rollercoaster. Once that base is compromised, you’re looking at a complete tear-out to fix it.
You have created a bathtub effect where the grade likely slopes away from the shed and the fence but gets trapped by the paver walkway, leaving the water nowhere to go. While the pond overflow might contribute, I’d bet money the shed roof is dumping water right there too if there aren’t gutters redirecting it. You need to check the overflow level on that pond and consider piping it away rather than letting it surface drain, but you also need to address the grade.
Since you are boxed in by hardscaping, you can’t easily regrade the whole yard. Your best bet is soft engineering. Instead of fighting the water, turn that low spot into a functional rain garden or bog area connected to the pond’s aesthetic. Plant thirsty natives like Cardinal Flower, Blue Flag Iris, or Swamp Milkweed that will drink that puddle up and look good doing it. It fixes the drainage issue and stops the pond from looking like a pile of rocks floating in a sea of grass.
Before you start digging trenches or buying plants, toss a photo of this mess into Agrio’s GardenDream. You can overlay a rain garden setup or test out where a dry creek bed might fit to channel that water away. It helps to see if a bog garden actually looks good with your existing layout before you commit to the labor.
Id fill that area in and force the water out and around house. Ice and mosquitoes are reason enough. Fill that area, could make it a large planter with a truck load of planting soil. Right answer is French drain, but this setup look like a real pain to do. I’d caution to be sure your fill isn’t blocking water from coming onto the property, just enough so it keeps moving through the property. This is small scale so ok, but larger scale would not be able to fill without permit and mitigated storm volume capacity.
The good news is that’s easy to fix, the bad news is you need to decide where to send the water to