# Building a Garden in "Flood Zone"



## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

The richest area on my property is in sort of a "flood zone". It only floods like this every couple years, but still, it floods. Its the counties fault it floods but they are uninterested in fixing it.


Living in Georgia we have THICK red CLAY. Amending the soil can become quiet costly and time consuming (if you want to go the compost route)


I know the risks of it raining and flooding out my garden but I was wondering if anyone has had any "luck" doing this.
There are plants to build a wattle type fence around it to keep the dogs and children out of it, but is there something I can do to deter the water away from the bottom?


If you notice the chicken coop (which was built there before we knew it flooded) ground stays dry, but it has flooded before. 
It can get ankle deep to mid shin deep in some spots. 


The garden will go behind/beside the swing set area


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## EDDIE BUCK (Jul 17, 2005)

You say its the counties fault it floods,does that mean theres a stream that the county fails to keep open and draining?If so theres not much you can do,but take the risk and hope for the best..


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

No.. Across the road from me is a tree farm. Right next to the tree farm is someones house. 
All the water is running into that persons yard and backing up. 
To fix this the county cut a pipe under the road.. Well guess where all that water is going now?


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## imthedude (Jun 7, 2011)

your county floodplain manager should not have allowed this to happen in your area, but it looks like you're stuck with it. if you make that water go somewhere else besides where it's going now, then you'll create the situation that you currently have for someone else. that could end up in a lawsuit. i'd say live with it, knowing that your garden may periodically be inundated with a bunch of water.


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

imthedude said:


> your county floodplain manager should not have allowed this to happen in your area, but it looks like you're stuck with it. if you make that water go somewhere else besides where it's going now, then you'll create the situation that you currently have for someone else. that could end up in a lawsuit. i'd say live with it, knowing that your garden may periodically be inundated with a bunch of water.


Right, which is what Im doing.. The water is running into a small pond on my neighbors property.
Just looking for ideas on keeping from washing the topsoil


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Without knowing where the water is headed or if there is any kind of ditch or creek to run the water into, it's kind of difficult to offer suggestions. 

If there was someplace to run the water to, I would suggest a catch basin and drainage pipe to run the water to the ditch and keep it from building up on your property. 

You could make raised beds, they would have to be set pretty high and I personally would chose concrete block sides. It wouldn't keep the beds real dry but it would keep the garden soil from washing away.

Or if you can get some soil brought in you could build a berm and direct the water away from where you want the garden.


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## kellyst (Mar 17, 2011)

My step-dad plants his garden in a flood plain and has done so for several years. It is great rich soil. He's never lost his graden as far as I am aware. I think it's gambling that it won't flood, and each gardener who tries this has different odds of winning. In my area of Ohio floods usually come in late winter or spring, and seldom in summer or late spring after planting.


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## imthedude (Jun 7, 2011)

SarahFair said:


> Right, which is what Im doing.. The water is running into a small pond on my neighbors property.
> Just looking for ideas on keeping from washing the topsoil


what my father-in-law did this spring after having his garden washed away last summer was to line the uphill side with posts/ties to direct the water around the garden and back to its intended path.


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## Txsteader (Aug 22, 2005)

Down here in the flat-lands of the coast, raised beds are the only real solution. In your situation, you might do a combo of somehow diverting that runoff and utilizing raised beds.

In the meantime, call your county drainage commissioner about the situation and explain that they need to remedy it, since they caused it. If they claim it can't be helped, I'd be demanding a reduction on my property value/taxes, since your property now serves as a drain for the neighbor's property. We got a considerable reduction on our taxes doing that very thing.


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

Txsteader said:


> Down here in the flat-lands of the coast, raised beds are the only real solution. In your situation, you might do a combo of somehow diverting that runoff and utilizing raised beds.
> 
> In the meantime, call your county drainage commissioner about the situation and explain that they need to remedy it, since they caused it. If they claim it can't be helped, I'd be demanding a reduction on my property value/taxes, since your property now serves as a drain for the neighbor's property. We got a considerable reduction on our taxes doing that very thing.


We are planning on selling very soon... 
Would it be a good idea to reduce my property value?



I think what I am going to have to do is put a solid base all the way around to try and divert the water


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## rockhound (Sep 25, 2009)

Is it possible to move some of the rich soil to a better area and make raised beds there? Then if your garden does get flooded, you won't lose it all?


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## SeaGoat (Aug 17, 2012)

Well I kind of really want it there because it stays pretty moist.
The rest of my property can be dry as a bone and that spot is lush..

Like I said, its rare it floods, but when it does, it does


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## geo in mi (Nov 14, 2008)

Carve out a dirversion ditch around the spot and use the soil from the ditch to raise the level of the garden. If the river floods, you will have your garden fairly dry, and there will be no more water than you would have had anyway running into the next property.

geo


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