Ill try to keep this as short as possible. We have been in this house a little over a year, and that whole time only had to deal with water either in the culvert by the road or in the area right around a drain that goes under the street. In either case it was never standing water unless it was actually raining. The culvert is a culvert so it makes sense to have water in it, and/or be wet sometimes. Same more or less goes for the area in front of the drain under the street. I was planning on filling that area a little this year to help at least make the wet area smaller when the ground is saturated. Keep in mind that was only ever in the fall around say October when we had lots of rain for longer periods of time.
Well earlier in the year when the snow was melting and we had a lot of rain, there was some water built up in the larger part of my yard. I was keeping an eye on it, but just assume it was due to rain mixed with snow melt. It was drying out just fine about the time I was ready to mow the first time this year. In fact I was specifically waiting for it to dry up before I mowed. I had been checking to see how dry it was so that I wouldn't tear it up with the mower. Well In the weeks leading up that first mow my neighbors were up to something with a tractor in their yard. They even brought in a second larger one at one point. I am not a nosy neighbor, and wasn't too concerned with what they were up to. That is until on one Saturday I just happened to think "I bet they are trenching their yard." I just kept on working what I was working on though hoping that wasn't it. Until I turned around on a nice bright sunny day and saw a river starting to flow through my yard.
Now, let me explain a bit more of what happened. Yes you can clearly see a retention pond/wetland across the street, and a drain that goes under the road from my yard to it. That pond drains into a creek behind it and goes under the main road and off to wherever. So some of the "natural" drainage is designed to do exactly what you are seeing in these pics. However, all of this water is coming from the retention pond on his property, as seen here.
His retention pond (which is over full) drains across that main road into the same creek and off to wherever. So only a portion of his property should be draining my way, and definitely not anything from as far away as his pond. I walked over there and was like what the fuck. He gave some bull shit about a pipe being plugged up and they have to do this every so often. I gave him shit for not at least giving me a heads up before flooding my yard. At that point, if his story was to be believed, this would be a temporary deal that should have water in my yard for a couple days. IF that was the case, fine I can deal with that. I would have still liked a heads up so I could mow the grass first, but for a temporary problem I could live with it.
Well that was over a month ago now, and its been flooded ever since. Here it is today, and yes we have had rain all day but nothing crazy.
Not easy to tell, but all the grass in that area is long as shit because I haven't been able to get near it with my mower since they dug the trench. Every time I mow I try to see how much I can get, and its pretty much the same every time. I have to go around it on the road to do the other side, I cant take my mower all the way across anywhere in my yard. I just looked actually and the day he opened the trench was the day we moved in last year 4-18. I have pics of that area from that day, and all year, and there is never any water over there.
In fact I have had a lot of my neighbors come by and tell me that's fucked up. Its never had water like this, it shouldn't have water like this etc. The one guy has lived here since this was all built. Also the guy who originally did all the dirt work, and still owns the lot next to me and across the street stopped on Friday and was looking at it all. I am actually gonna call that guy this week and see what he thinks. I didn't get a chance to talk to him when he was out here since I was working.
Anyway, I dont know if I am looking for advice or just venting here. I have called the county (they are step 1 I guess) and they said they cant do anything since it drains that way. I am planning on calling back this week and raising some hell about it because I don't think they understand exactly what he did. Talking to the neighbor seems pointless since the actual "owner" didn't even say a word when I talked to them the day it happened. I am pretty sure the guy I was talking to was the actual property owner, and his son lives there alone, or with some friends.
I can of course put in some kind of drainage, or something but that will be thousands of dollars and mean redoing a large chunk of my yard to fix an problem that shouldn't exist. I cant build a berm and keep the water on his side for many reasons. Again though that would mean me spending a bunch of money which is BS.
I guess thats enough for my Sunday rant. Let me know what you guys think I should do. Am I over reacting, do I just need to suck it up and install some kind of drain/raise my yard, should I be super pissed and go down to the county in person? I am just frustrated by it all, and it doesn't seem to be very temporary to me.
Sean
Well earlier in the year when the snow was melting and we had a lot of rain, there was some water built up in the larger part of my yard. I was keeping an eye on it, but just assume it was due to rain mixed with snow melt. It was drying out just fine about the time I was ready to mow the first time this year. In fact I was specifically waiting for it to dry up before I mowed. I had been checking to see how dry it was so that I wouldn't tear it up with the mower. Well In the weeks leading up that first mow my neighbors were up to something with a tractor in their yard. They even brought in a second larger one at one point. I am not a nosy neighbor, and wasn't too concerned with what they were up to. That is until on one Saturday I just happened to think "I bet they are trenching their yard." I just kept on working what I was working on though hoping that wasn't it. Until I turned around on a nice bright sunny day and saw a river starting to flow through my yard.
Now, let me explain a bit more of what happened. Yes you can clearly see a retention pond/wetland across the street, and a drain that goes under the road from my yard to it. That pond drains into a creek behind it and goes under the main road and off to wherever. So some of the "natural" drainage is designed to do exactly what you are seeing in these pics. However, all of this water is coming from the retention pond on his property, as seen here.
His retention pond (which is over full) drains across that main road into the same creek and off to wherever. So only a portion of his property should be draining my way, and definitely not anything from as far away as his pond. I walked over there and was like what the fuck. He gave some bull shit about a pipe being plugged up and they have to do this every so often. I gave him shit for not at least giving me a heads up before flooding my yard. At that point, if his story was to be believed, this would be a temporary deal that should have water in my yard for a couple days. IF that was the case, fine I can deal with that. I would have still liked a heads up so I could mow the grass first, but for a temporary problem I could live with it.
Well that was over a month ago now, and its been flooded ever since. Here it is today, and yes we have had rain all day but nothing crazy.
Not easy to tell, but all the grass in that area is long as shit because I haven't been able to get near it with my mower since they dug the trench. Every time I mow I try to see how much I can get, and its pretty much the same every time. I have to go around it on the road to do the other side, I cant take my mower all the way across anywhere in my yard. I just looked actually and the day he opened the trench was the day we moved in last year 4-18. I have pics of that area from that day, and all year, and there is never any water over there.
In fact I have had a lot of my neighbors come by and tell me that's fucked up. Its never had water like this, it shouldn't have water like this etc. The one guy has lived here since this was all built. Also the guy who originally did all the dirt work, and still owns the lot next to me and across the street stopped on Friday and was looking at it all. I am actually gonna call that guy this week and see what he thinks. I didn't get a chance to talk to him when he was out here since I was working.
Anyway, I dont know if I am looking for advice or just venting here. I have called the county (they are step 1 I guess) and they said they cant do anything since it drains that way. I am planning on calling back this week and raising some hell about it because I don't think they understand exactly what he did. Talking to the neighbor seems pointless since the actual "owner" didn't even say a word when I talked to them the day it happened. I am pretty sure the guy I was talking to was the actual property owner, and his son lives there alone, or with some friends.
I can of course put in some kind of drainage, or something but that will be thousands of dollars and mean redoing a large chunk of my yard to fix an problem that shouldn't exist. I cant build a berm and keep the water on his side for many reasons. Again though that would mean me spending a bunch of money which is BS.
I guess thats enough for my Sunday rant. Let me know what you guys think I should do. Am I over reacting, do I just need to suck it up and install some kind of drain/raise my yard, should I be super pissed and go down to the county in person? I am just frustrated by it all, and it doesn't seem to be very temporary to me.
Sean