Flooding Lawn?

Question

The front of my lawn use to be an old road bed about 50 years ago but then they moved the road and just planted grass. However when it rains all the water goes into the middle of the lawn and all the soil is mostly sand so alot of my lawn is weeds or crab grass and its getting worse, no matter what I do nothing helps. I was thinking about putting a few inches of gravel down on my lawn and then a layer of soil and replanting. What do you all think?

Answer 1

You can do all of that for sure. But remember that when you add the gravel and the new soil, be sure to make small drainage swells in the soil that will carry off the extra water to the perimeter. The usuall size of the drainage swell would be about 18" wide and you have to grade it for a positive flo to the perimeter of your existing lawn.If you do this correctly you should see the extra water flow off of your lawn and you will have a healthier lawn.

Answer 2

I'm not keen about the gravel and soil and new lawn because you really haven't solved the drainage issue.

As the above person wrote, you'd be better off creating an interceptor swale by regrading at the slope's bottom and carry the water off to a safe place. Then you can deal with the crabgrass lawn through traditional methods. If there's 50% good grass in there, it's easier to manage to the good grass through proper fertilizing, applying crabgrass preventing herbicides ane irrigating appropriately than starting all over.

While you are busy regrading, check the land slope around the house. You don't need roof run-off water backing up against the house.