Puddle on dirt lane - can I move it all to one side?

We have a dirt lane that is in pretty good shape, with this puddle area.


It's been more or less like this for fifty years. Now that we've built a house here, there's more traffic (although not daily, as the spot is past our house and shed). Anyhoo, I don't really care about the puddling, but I do care about the turtles and frogs that may not live through the machines passing through.



We have an opportunity to use an mini-ex this weekend, and I wonder if it would work to shift the puddle to just one side, and then the occasional car/truck/tractor that comes through could drive to the other side? Or is it all just going to squish out and not last very long as a solution. I have gravel, if that would help at least delay the degradation.

are you wanting to keep a puddle spot in your driveway? I ask because the way  you ask if you should just move low spot to the other side of drive. if it were me I would fill it in, if you have chert or stoney material on your property or brought in that will work great to keep traction on a wet spot. make the low spot level with the rest of the road
I know my drive needs grading every so often

This would be a good project where you could earn a BB:

Fix a Pothole/Puddle--PEP BB earthworks

Some other permies folks have fixed similar situations, so maybe you could glean some ideas from that thread?

Stacie Kim wrote:This would be a good project where you could earn a BB:

Fix a Pothole/Puddle--PEP BB earthworks

Some other permies folks have fixed similar situations, so maybe you could glean some ideas from that thread?

Ooh, thanks for that link. I should have known there was a BB!

Bruce, the longer term solution is what you suggest, moving the puddle completely to one side. I just don't have the bandwidth for that this weekend, so I am trying to cut corners and Save the Turtles in the short term.

Erica, I feel you are on the right track.

If that were my road I would dig a ditch on the side where you marked "Dig Deeper" though don't dig deeper make the ditch a foot or two closer to the edge.  Then create a way for the water to flow into the new ditch.

Then drive to the left like in the picture.

Anne Miller wrote:Erica, I feel you are on the right track.

If that were my road I would dig a ditch on the side where you marked "Dig Deeper" though don't dig deeper make the ditch a foot or two closer to the edge.  Then create a way for the water to flow into the new ditch.

Then drive to the left like in the picture.

That solution works. It improves one side while keeping the other wet-ish for the beasties. Thanks!

We did a little playing around. I think it's ... OK? We got a good hard rain overnight, so I can see where it needs fixing. I'm learning about myself that I'm a do it badly the first time kind of person. I think the next steps are digging out a little more for the puddle side, and digging the lane out to drive further from the puddle. But it is better than it was.



I also took advantage of having the mini-ex and combined two deep wheel ruts from our house construction into one U-bend pond. I'm very happy with it.

I am not sure if the turtle will read the sign, "dig deeper", I suspect he may just swin in the water!!!