Rainfall this winter has helped California dig out of a years-long drought. Heaviland Landscape Management, a commercial contractor based in southern California, provides these tips to building owners and facility managers about important steps to take to maintain landscape investment during heavy rains.
“Appropriate stormwater management is necessary to help prevent flooding, erosion, and structural property damage, which can lead to costly repairs,” said Rajan Brown, vice president of resource management for Heaviland Landscape Management.
Heaviland Landscape Management suggests facility managers use these tips to safeguard their landscaping and property in the event of heavy rain and floods:
- Maintain storm drains and keep catch basins free of trash, sediment, roots, and plant debris to allow for water to flow through drains instead of pooling around them. Installing straw wattles and/or rock borders around drains and V-ditches can help prevent sediment build up in drains.
- Keep brow ditches and V-ditches free of debris by regularly clearing drain outlets and weep-holes of sediment. Over-irrigation during dry times can cause erosion and sediment and chemicals can build up.
- The most environmentally dangerous time for a property is during initial construction while land is being cleared and graded. To protect these areas during heavy rainfall, install a silt fence or straw wattle around drains to create flow channels for storm water to drain.
- If landscape drains are clogged, contact a landscape management company as soon as possible to review the drainage issues and remove trapped sediment and debris to allow for rainwater to drain appropriately.
