We’ve been getting a lot of rain this year.
Idaho Falls typically receives around 12.5 inches of rainfall a year. The entire state only receives an average of 18.9 inches, making it the 42nd wettest state in the U.S.
So it’s not normally that soggy of a state.
Idaho Falls averages 2 inches of precipitation during the month of May and 1.18 inches of precipitation during the month of June. In fact, the record highest monthly precipitation average for the area is 4.3 inches, which happened in April 2014.
This May, however, came close to beating that record at 4.2 inches of monthly precipitation, including a six-day streak of rain that ended on May 28.
Needless to say, it’s been a pretty wet spring.
As a result, we’ve been seeing washed out landscape beds and flooded basements from water collecting near a home’s foundation. This happens because the landscape doesn’t have the proper grade to manage all the excess water.
While the rainy season should be about over, the damage may be something you need to resolve quickly to get your property back into shape.
Here are some things you can do to stop your water-damaged lawn from getting worse.
Problem #1: I Have A Newer Home And The Trenches Created By My Rain Gutters Are Settling
In newer home landscapes, where water pipes leading from the rain gutters were trenched into the ground, the soil is going to settle a bit. Heavy and consistent rainfall like the type we’ve had recently can amplify the problem, creating unwanted ditches.
Solution: We add topsoil and re-level the ground and re-sod to bring the area back up to the surrounding level and eliminate the problem.
Problem #2: My Landscape Beds Have Been Washed Out
Whether it’s a result of clogged gutters or fast and massive amounts of rainfall, quickly spilling and puddling water has washed away more than a few landscape beds located near homes, displacing mulch and plants along the way.
Solution: We add topsoil and replant the beds to get them looking back to pre-washout conditions. We can also help solve gutter washout problems with some other fixes (see the Solutions to Problem #3.)
Problem #3: My Downspouts And Gutters Are Creating Puddling Near My Home’s Foundation
Most of the homes in our area have basements on 2 to 3 acres of property. The newer homes include the installation of rain gutters that fall toward the home’s foundation or downspouts that empty next to basement window wells.
As landscapes settle around new homes, these gutters and downspouts can create puddling problems. The result is usually something every homeowner dreads: basement flooding.
Solution #1: A great solution we have for this is creating a dry stream bed that starts where the gutter deposits water and runs 3 to 5 feet wide down to the edge of the lawn.
To create the dry stream bed, we use different sizes of washed rock or river rock.
Dry stream beds help collect this extra water and then slowly filter it and drain it into the lawn. Once installed, dry stream beds typically require no additional maintenance.
They are not only practical and functional, but also aesthetically pleasing.
Solution #2: Another solution to this situation is directing stormwater away from your property by running drainpipes from rain gutters 20 to 40 feet away from your home via a French drain and pop-up emitter.
The French drain consists of an underground passage made by filling a trench with loose stones and pipe and covering it with earth.
This leads to a simple emitter that pops up once the water pressure builds enough, allowing it to disperse over a larger surface area, so it doesn’t cause damage or erosion.
Problem #4: I Think I’m Overwatering My Lawn And Landscape
The amount of rain we’ve been receiving is more than our landscapes need. For this reason, your irrigation system should not be running at all.
In fact, I haven’t even had to turn mine on yet this spring.
Watering too frequently and too much can lead to a host of problems down the road. As temperatures heat up, you could be creating an ideal situation for lawn diseases to crop up.
And because of the high amounts of rainfall, mowing is also more challenging. Trying to mow after it’s rained all day and your sprinkler system has been on all night is pretty much impossible.
And to make matters worse, all this rain combined with unnecessary irrigation can lead to weed problems because we’re unable to keep up with our herbicide treatments, which need four to five hours of dryness to absorb into the leaf after they’ve been applied to be effective.
Solution: We can’t control Mother Nature and the amount of rainfall she decides to dump on our landscapes, but we can control our irrigation systems. The best solution we can recommend is to install a rain sensor with your sprinkler system.
These are inexpensive and simple devices. Basically, they are activated by rainfall, and when they sense rain, they shut the irrigation system down to prevent overwatering. This device is the best $100 investment you can make to ensure you’re giving your plants the right amount of water and saving money.
Rain, Rain, Go Away! My Water Damaged Lawn Has Had Enough!
It’s been a soggy spring, but there are so many ways Outback Landscape can help you fix a water damaged lawn, as well as better manage stormwater, directing it away from your basement and your precious landscape beds.
Contact our experts at 208-656-3220, or fill out the contact form to set up a no-obligation meeting with one of our team members.
