Dry Creek Bed Design: a Lowe’s How-To

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Materials

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What Is a Dry Creek Bed?

A dry creek bed framing a gravel driveway.

A dry creek bed, which is sometimes called a dry river or a dry stream bed, is a piece of landscaping that’s designed to resemble a rocky stream without the water. These structures can be used for drainage to prevent stagnant pools from forming during heavy rains or snow melt. They can also serve strictly as a design element.

Dry creeks are often created in trenches, gullies or near gutter downspouts to direct water away from a home’s foundation. Although building one is both an art and a science, you essentially need to dig out the landscape, cover the area with landscaping fabric, then add landscaping rocks of different sizes. This helpful guide provides detailed step-by-step instructions below.

Why Should I Create a Dry River Bed in My Yard?

A dry creek bed surrounding a planting bed in front of a modern home.

Here are some of the most common reasons DIYers choose to add a dry creek:

For practical purposes, specifically to help with drainage.
For aesthetic purposes — a dry river bed adds natural charm, even to a plot of land that’s been heavily landscaped during a home construction.
Because it provides additional creative opportunities for gardening enthusiasts — you can easily incorporate plants into the design in a countless number of ways.

Planning and Regulations

A dry creek bed built in a low point of a lawn for drainage.

Before you begin working on your dry riverbed landscaping project, here are a few important things to take into consideration.

It’s important to understand how the water naturally flows in your yard. Poor planning could result in stagnant water pools or direct excess water towards your or your neighbor’s foundation, which could result in rot or structural damage over time. If you’re unsure, consider hiring a professional landscaper.
Do your research. Check local building codes and Homeowners Associate covenants before purchasing any rocks and stones for landscaping purposes. Although in most locations you don’t need a permit to build a dry creek, it may be against the rules to purposely direct the flow of water onto a public street or into the public sewer system.
Be safe. As with any other project that involves excavation, always call 811 before digging so you’re aware of any underground utility lines.

How to Build a Dry River Bed

Here’s a general overview of how to build your own dry creek. Keep in mind your steps may vary according to your design. Your project may also require additional tools and materials.

Instructions

Before you begin your dry creek bed landscaping project, you’ll need to mark the area. You can do this using a method of your choice, such as landscape stakes, chalk lines or marking paint. You can even use two garden hoses as a guide.

Create a path that’s visually pleasing, but you should ensure that water can flow properly by following the natural slope of the landscape. In most cases, you should map out a creek bed that’s at least three feet wide to accommodate the water flow, but this measurement can be adjusted as needed.

After you’ve marked the layout of your creek bed, you’ll need to excavate some soil to make room for the rocks and landscape fabric. Using a shovel, remove the grass and dig out approximately 12-18 inches of soil according to your design. While digging, angle the trench so it has a concave shape —meaning the deepest point of the trench should be the center of the creek bed. The trench should also have a downward slope. This will help the water move, so it won’t spill over the edges.

After digging out the area, use a hand tamper to compact the soil. This will create a sturdy foundation for the rocks.

Tip

You can recycle the soil by using it for another project, such as a raised garden bed.

Lay the landscape fabric in the trench. Be sure to smooth out any wrinkles. You should let the fabric hang over each edge of the marked area by approximately 12 inches. If necessary, you can secure the fabric with landscape pins. After you’ve placed the rock, you can trim any fabric that sticks out.

If the creek bed is narrow, you may be able to use one long sheet of fabric. If the bed is wider, you may need to cut the fabric and lay multiple strips perpendicularly. If you do so, be sure to overlap each strip by at least six inches. This will prevent weeds from growing in the gaps.

Cover the gravel layer with river rock according to your design. To get the best look, use a combination of shapes, colors and sizes. One of the most attractive designs involves using large stones to frame the edge of the creek and filling in between them with smaller river rock. You can also incorporate larger boulders into the layout if space allows.

As you cover the pea gravel, think about the natural distribution of stones you’d see around a river or creek in nature. You can get inspiration by simply doing an online image search.

Dry Creek Bed Ideas

A dry creek bed in front of an outdoor patio.

Here are a few additional dry creek bed design ideas you can incorporate into your project:

Adding driftwood around the edges of a dry river bed can enhance the natural look.
You can create a small path across the creek by incorporating a few larger, wider rocks to function as stepping stones. If you have woodworking skills and know how to set posts in concrete, you can even build a small bridge across the creek bed.
If you want to add plants, fill in the spaces around them with additional river rocks or mulch for a cohesive design. It also helps to use a combination of in-ground plants and planters for visual interest.
If the area is prone to only light flooding, consider creating a rain garden at the end of the runoff. A rain garden is a small pond-like depression filled with plants that can tolerate pooling water. This helps the water soak into the ground and prevents stagnation. Just be sure to follow any local codes and community guidelines.
If you’re building a dry creek bed to deal with heavy flooding, consider incorporating a French drain into the design.

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How to Build a Dry Creek Bed