I am having water problems with my property too. Have heard from plumbers and landscapers, but believe the solution should be a permaculture one. I do ok until we get a lot of storm water. My next door neighbour drained and joined his sump pump onto our property to drain his water on our side of the drainage ditch. He moved shortly after doing this. Our new next door neighbours home flooded the day they moved in. Want to get the new neighbours sump pump dump off our property. The ditch they and my neighbours are dumping into is backing up into our driveway, then garage, then basement occasionally. Anytime is too often though. Before our neighbour redirected his water we had flood issues less often and less severe, in the same sequence.
If permaculture can be used to change a desert I want to learn how it can change a damaged suburban area from a stormwater flood area.
Amsterdam is built below sea level, but liveable. I don't live in Amsterdam, but feel like it when there is a storm.
We have lots of clay. I don't want a garden built on clay to wash away and clog the storm ditches. Am thinking of cutting down a maple tree privacy hedge. Maybe by cutting a deep ditch next to the drainage ditch and filling with hugelkulture berm to keep the storm water in the drainage ditch. By digging deep I could still get a full size berm without having it too high that my neighbours would complain to hoa.
Also have water from our property that drains to the stormwater ditch. I don't want the berm to prevent water from our property from draining. Am thinking that the water draining from our property should be treated as grey water. I don't know what was do e to it before it flowed onto our small .7 acre. My permaculture playing card on Greywater says, "clay-lined catchment is more natural and healthy to the plants and other creatures." It also says "You can clean the wAter faster by growing by growing a variety of water cleansing plants." Further the card presents how positive my water is even though I am frustrated when I have too much of it at one time. "Wicking beds become habitat for frogs and a source of drinking water for birds, bees, and other beneficial creatures. Without water, your system is incomplete." All of the quoted text comes from Paul Wheaton's Permaculture Playing Card, the 10 of Hearts.
Am not sure if I have too much water for this to work. It will work during non storm times, I think. When I try to explain this to non-permaculture folks they typically say it won't work. I am not sure what plants to use. I want plants that will absorb a lot of water. Often plants are recommended because they make dry, desert like a r was moist. I want to do the opposite. Sometimes when wet season is over the area dry some, but irises I've planted there have never dried out.
After I've improved the property I want to sell and buy land that would provide more control of swale sizes. Need to fix to improve it before I can move.
