Dry Creek River Bed
This project offers an easy and beautiful landscaping solution to much of the damage caused by rain. To combat the landscaping damage caused by soil erosion and uneven ground, we suggest creating a dry creek bed. This is an incredibly simple and beautiful solution that proves very effective. It consists in laying down stone to form a bed. When it rains, water flows over an assortment of lovely stones and boulders and slowly diffuses/seeps between them, leaving the ground underneath firmly in place. This environmentally friendly and practical solution can also become an artistical addition to any garden or backyard. The selection of beautiful stones will make this creek the focal point of the area. And maintenance is as easy as occasionally blowing leaves and debris out of the bed. This easy-to-create project requires very few tools and no prior experience, so it is perfect for the DIY novice. Some instructions and tips are listed below.
First mark the area then measure your area. Creek beds are typically placed in natural drainage areas. After careful measuring the project can be completed in only three steps:
- Lay down landscape fabric.
This allows air and water to permeate the soil while also protecting against soil erosion and weed growth.
- River Rock
These smooth, multicolored stones make dry creek beds a beautiful garden focal point as well as a landscape solution. Palletized river Rock comes in pre-sorted sizes so you can easily separate the larger stones from the smaller ones.
- River Gravel
Fill the gaps between the larger rocks with these small stones. Mix one part large river rock with two parts medium river rock and one part small river rock or river gravel.
Tools:
Shovel (flat and pointed)
Hard Rake
Materials:
River rock or garden boulders
Gravel of various sizes
Landscape nails or sod staples
Landscape fabric available in multiple widths starting at 3’and lengths starting at 50’
Coverage Calculations:
River gravel: 80 sq ft per ton approximately