During our first autumn in our new home, we decided to hire help cleaning up the area of our property we call “the meadow”. It’s a large grassy area at the south end of the lot, marked by tall grasses, and wildflowers in the spring and dotted with Big Leaf Maples. We asked the landscapers to clean up the leaves, cut back the blackberries, and pick up fallen branches.
Once the overgrowth was cleared, it became evident that this area needed some drastic intervention. There is a culvert that runs beneath the nearby road which empties onto our property. Leading from the culvert, there was the remnant of a swale that had long been neglected. Overgrown and nearly flat, the water was unable to flow, and the surrounding ground was flooded and boggy. A few of the nearby trees appear distressed and the only thing that seemed to be thriving was the blackberries.
The swale itself leads to a larger creek that runs in a gulch along the west side of our property and connects to a larger watershed. We decided that the best intervention would be to retrench the swale, line it with drain rock and reinforce it with larger stones. We hoped to clear the path for the water to flow to the larger creek and dry up the soil to save the nearby trees.
We made a plan to regrade and deepen the swale and picked up water-soluble paint to mark the right and left banks. We ordered 6 tons of drain rock, got out the jackhammer and shovels, and got to work!
We trenched downward 6-10 inches for approximately 170 feet. We filled about 4-6″ deep with drain rock and reinforced shallow areas with larger rocks. This work took about 4 days.
The swale requires frequent maintenance. Moles, fallen leaves, overgrown grass, and algae all work together to clog it up. We go out every 3 months or so and do a little cleanup to keep the waterway clear.
We plan to widen the walls and line them with larger boulders to prevent erosion and strengthen the river banks for years to come.
In addition to re-establishing the swale, we’re also working to plant native trees, plants, and flowers along the swale and in the nearby meadow. We’ve planted 4 red cedars and hope to plant shore pines and a willow tree as well as sword fern, pacific ninebark, iris, monkeyflower, and more!
The Washington Native Plant Society has been an invaluable resource – https://www.wnps.org/plant-lists
We are proud of the work we’ve done to revitalize this area and will continue to fight noxious weeds, restore native species and bolster natural waterways.
Leaping Rabbit 