Description
The creek’s path snakes between two of the buildings along a hill at StellaLou, and continues down, around the upper corner of the lowest building, and into the small duck pond.
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The original concept of this dry creek was to direct the flow of water while protecting the land from erosion. Rather than move water through a pipe or drain, a dry creek provides multiple functions. The upper part of the creek where water was seeping into the earth, causing consistent water in the corner of the lower building, is laid with bentonite to deter water from percolating. The remainder of the bed is filled with rocks, collected from the land during other projects, which helps with water drainage and direction towards the duck pond.
This land intervention also has the added benefits of creating a microclimate and edge that support diverse flora and fauna. We are planting a diversity of native plants and grasses in this location to support life.
We also find it wonderful to enjoy for its beauty and as an additional path and play space. We have placed the rocks carefully to provide larger stepping spaces in the natural walking paths and to avoid wobbly surfaces. Already, our four year old resident has taken to jumping around the rocks.
Process and Timeline
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Planning: We observed the water situation in the area of concern over the course of a couple years. We watched where it pooled, where it seeped, where it drained, ran along the surface, and ended up. From these observations, and determining where we would like the water to go, or not go, we determined our path and method.
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Digging (2021): With the help of some friends, we dug the trench that would hold the flow of the dry creek. There was no need for much depth, other than allowing room for a layer of rock or two. The most crucial part of this for us was that it continued to slope downwards, using a level along the trench and making adjustments until it did so. We also tweaked the width of the trench in various places for aesthetic reasons.
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Lining (2021): We used a landscaping cloth along the bottom of the entire trench to assist in the battle against weeds. Water can penetrate this material. Additionally, there was a section of the dry creek, at the upper corner of our lowest building, that received a lot of water externally and internally. We decided to use bentonite, a dried clay powder, in just this section of the dry creek. This clay surface provides a natural barrier between the water and the building, encouraging the water to find an easier path down (through slope and percolation).
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Filling (2021-2022): Using rocks gathered, with a "now what?" attitude, during various other construction and planting projects, we filled the trench! This took a few days of heavy lifting, and a few months of then carefully placing smaller rocks in a way that would create enough stability for human visitors to traverse safely.
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Planting (2022): Planting along the less walked upon edges of the dry creek have begun. These plantings continue to increase the diversity of flora and fauna in this new edge ecosystem and microclimate.
What We Have Learned & What's Next...
We would like to learn more about the rock we find on site, its material, its age, and what it can tell us about this land.
We will continue to plant alongside the dry creek. Additionally, there may be a patio installed near the top of it. We will have to once again observe and assess the water movement and needs of this area and how it connects to the whole before this installation.
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(2022) Since the installation of this intervention, we have had no issues with standing water between the buildings and no leaks into the building corner below! Plantings are continuing, and weeding of the rock creek itself needs to be done occasionally.
Plant List
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Butterfly weed
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Columbine
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Native grasses
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Bee balm
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Sedum
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Mallow
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Yarrow
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Lovage