How to Stop Water From Running Down a Hill 

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Water running downhill doesn’t seem to be a big problem for most people. 

When rainwater floods your yard and causes erosion, you need to take steps to protect your property and keep your lawn and yard dry. 

Finally, unless there is a lot of water, the water shouldn’t do too much damage. 

But regardless of its amount, water causes erosion that can ruin your yard, lawn, and even the structural integrity of your home. 

Depending on how much water you’re dealing with, uncontrolled water can also cause landslides, floods, and kill plants. 

Even at lower rates, excess water on a slope removes nutrients and minerals from the soil, resulting in an infertile slope. 

When this happens, you will have a hard time planting vegetables, flowers, or anything that requires moderate to small amounts of water.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to completely stop the water flowing downhill, especially if you live in an area with regular storms. 

However, there are a few things you can do if you live near the bottom of a hill and constantly struggle with water issues.

How to Stop Water From Running Down a Hill

From installing French drains to leaving on a drainage property to building a berm, the following methods should help you control water flowing downhill and prevent damage to your property:

Install a French Drain

A French drain is usually a drainage ditch containing gravel and a perforated pipe. 

This allows you to easily control and divert rainwater running downhill without having to design the entire area.

You can control stormwater by digging a drainage ditch with gravel and a perforated pipe – a French drain. 

The job is fairly simple and involves letting the water run down the side of the ditch, seep through the gravel, and into the pipe. 

The water is then channeled downhill to a nearby area, usually a dry stone wall or water garden.

The ditch must still be sloping to allow water to flow safely into a dry well or water garden. 

Plan a drainage ditch to catch water on the slope and safely channel it downhill.

Start by planning the drainage ditch to catch the water on the slope and channel it safely downhill. 

It should drop at least an inch for every 10 feet of distance. 

Finish digging in a dry well, pond, or water garden so you can utilize excess water.

Dry wells are perfect endpoints for French drains as they disperse water underground and improve soil fertility.

It should have at least a 1-inch slope for every 10 feet of distance. 

A single trench that slopes or curves along the slope can be effective. 

Dig with the right tools and build a drainage ditch using gravel, landscape fabric, and perforated pipe.

Water flowing into the side of the ditch seeps through the gravel and enters the perforated pipe that directs the water safely downhill to a location of your choosing. 

We recommend a dry well that will safely disperse the water underground.

Create a Drainage Ditch

A pipe less drainage ditch or ditch is another great option for controlling runoff. 

Similar to a French drain, it can be dug into the slope. 

Alternatively, if slope runoff is flooding flat parts of your yard, you can dig a ditch near the base of the hill to drain the water. 

Plan your ditch or ditch to catch the water and direct it downhill.

To channel water down a ditch without a pipe, make sure it slopes at least 6 inches every 10 feet. 

This will prevent standing water from forming. 

You can build a working stone drainage ditch using gravel, landscape fabric, and decorative stones. 

A rock drainage ditch can function like an artificial stream bed, channeling water downhill. You can even dig smaller ditches to feed him.

With a few adjustments, you can give your stone drainage ditch the look of a dried-up creek bed. 

Read Also: Dry Well vs French Drain: What’s the Difference?

Terracing a Hillside 

Terracing a hillside is an ancient strategy that prevents water from flowing downhill. 

In addition, the terraces collect rainwater to feed the trees and grass planted on the hill, while preventing soil erosion. 

This may be a bit more work than digging a drainage ditch, but the upside is that it transforms the hillside into a thriving garden or orchard.

It works by trapping water in flat sections so that it is absorbed by the ground instead of flowing downhill. 

In addition, the terracing collects rainwater that feeds the lawns and trees planted on the hillside, while reducing soil erosion. 

And while terrace building requires more work than digging a drainage ditch, the biggest benefit is that you can use it to turn the slope into a thriving orchard or garden.

Here’s what  to do  to build hillside terraces effectively: 

Cut steps into the hillside and use retaining walls to hold them in place. 

Start at the bottom of the slope and work your way up the slope. 

By creating flat terrace sections, the water seeps into the ground instead of flowing downhill

You can use sturdy materials such as stone, wood, or concrete blocks for your retaining walls. 

Typically, deck steps should be between five and nine feet wide. 

Likewise, the height of the retaining walls should be less than half the width of the terrace.

Build a berm

Berms are raised hills or ridges that divert water from specific areas.

By building a  garden bed on a hill, you can divert rainwater to other areas and prevent it from washing uncontrollably downhill. 

A good way to use a berm is to direct the water into drainage ditches. 

Build a flower bed on a raised hill or ridge to divert water into a drainage ditch or ditch.

Build a berm by bringing in soil and compost, or digging up and piling up areas of slope. 

Make sure your berm doesn’t direct water onto the neighboring property. 

You need to make sure your berm is draining water safely. In other words, you shouldn’t build it in such a way that water is diverted onto neighboring properties.

Plant the slope 

Trees, plants, and grass on a slope can help control runoff. 

Plant roots absorb excess water and prevent erosion.

Whether you’ve created a drainage ditch or sloped terrace, it’s important to continue planting bare soil to control rainwater.

Plant grass, trees, or other plants on bare spots on your slopes. 

A terraced slope is perfect for fruit trees and herbs. 

If you want to plant trees, shrubs, and other important plants, a terraced slope is the best option.

The flat and stable surface allows for proper watering of the soil. 

If the slope has a steep slope, plant it with grass or ground cover. 

While this method doesn’t stop the water completely, it does minimize the impact the water has on your property.

You can combine this with previous methods like terraced slopes and berms. 

Use geotextiles or blankets for erosion control. 

Sometimes the ground is too eroded to support vegetation or too steep to allow drainage and terracing. 

Luckily, you can use geotextiles for erosion control blankets as they protect your soil from erosion. 

They are made from biodegradable materials, which means that as the geotextiles degrade, they add nutrients to the soil.

Because they are made from various organic materials such as coconut, geotextiles can attract insects and animals that can harm them. 

So make sure to cover them with a thin layer of soil after planting. 

Erosion control mats are versatile and flexible, which means they can cover large areas of ground on a steep slope, regardless of the angle of inclination.

Final Thoughts 

To control water running down a slope, the simplest solution is to build a French drain or stone drainage ditch. 

To prevent water from flowing downhill and prevent erosion, terrace the slope or build a berm to divert water. 

If you use any of these methods, plant deep-rooted grasses or plants that will help hold the soil in place.

In general, water can be extremely destructive, especially if your property is at the bottom of a hill. 

From erosion to flooding, resisting the effects of runoff during severe storms can be difficult.

Even if you can’t change natural flow patterns, you can always use all sorts of strategic solutions to work with nature, not against it. 

So don’t give up just yet and remember to Implement any of the methods to control rainwater and protect your property.