Drainage problems and shoreline erosion in your Person County, NC, and Pittsylvania County, VA, areas landscape are issues that will only get bigger as time passes, if they are not handled properly. Proper drainage solutions can be invasive and costly, and that is why a landscape company may need to recommend multiple fixes to stop erosion and boost plant growth. Here are some excellent remedies to stabilize the shoreline.
Solution #1: Slope Stabilization
In stabilizing the shoreline, a landscape contractor will divert the stormwater from the slope where it runs down and takes the shoreline with it. Many shoreline properties slope toward the water, making them prime erosion spots. Here are some effective corrections.
French drains: A French drain can catch the water at the hilltop, where it will spill into the drain and expel in a better location. This is a first-line defense to protect your shoreline and slope from washing away.
Adding vegetation: With a landscape designer’s skill, a landscape company can add shrubs and plants at the hilltop to slow the water movement. Combined with a French drain, this can allow more water to drain away from the slope and shore areas.
Solution #2: A Safe Way for Water to Drain
Drainage from gutters and other water collection methods can also be a problem that causes shoreline erosion. A landscape company can attach corrugated pipes that take the water from around the house and carry it beneath the ground to drain into the water body. The pipe can spill from the base of the bluff to merge with the larger water body.
Solution #3: Vegetation Along the Shoreline
Many times the shoreline needs additional vegetation to stop erosion. This can come in the form of small plants and ground cover. Another way a landscape company can slow erosion and water runoff is by adding more rocks and outcroppings where vegetation is protected. This will also minimize the way waves washing over the shoreline contribute to the issue.
Solution #4: Retaining Walls
Your landscape professionals can also recommend adding one retaining wall or a tiered retaining wall to stop shoreline erosion. A tiered retaining wall will also eliminate slope erosion since the tiers reach to the top of the slope.
Retaining walls are permanent features designed and constructed of stacked stone or wall stone to form a strong protectant at the base of the hill along the shore. When the water washes onto the shore, the retaining wall prevents the sand and dirt from returning with the water.
An added bonus of utilizing retaining walls can be the extra landscape space they create. While the wall starts as a functional solution to erosion, all people will notice is the gorgeous landscape design that provides structure, symmetry, and seasonal color.
Solution #5: A Drainage Swale
Swales are efficient ways to divert runoff water elsewhere. A landscape contractor might recommend installing a swale in an area that can’t support a retaining wall. The swale is a wide ditch that a landscape company lines with rocks. The swale follows the natural line of the water pathway to spill into the water body. Since the swale has rocks along the bottom and edges, the water will flow through without creating more soil loss or deep crevices that can mar the lovely landscape appearance.
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