Dry Creek Bed
Dry creek beds are an environmentally friendly landscape solution for soil erosion as well as a beautiful garden focal point. Soil erosion is a common problem for many homeowners. Although the hilly terrain of North Georgia can be stunning, it also means uneven sloping for many yards. If you are tired of watching your landscape slowly erode each time it rains, consider installing a dry creek bed as a simple and attractive solution. When it rains, water flows over an assortment of lovely stones and boulders and slowly seeps between them, leaving the ground between them firmly in place.
In addition to solving landscape issues, dry creek beds provide an aesthetically pleasing focal point for your outdoor area. And maintenance is as easy as occasionally blowing leaves and debris out of the bed. This easy-to-create project requires very few tools and no prior experience, so it is perfect for the DIY novice.
Download a PDF of our Dry Creek Bed Project Guide
Select a guide section:
- Project Photos
- Required Tools
- Materials Needed
- Coverage Calculations
- Preparation
- Installation
- Project Tips
- Maintenance
- The Fine Print
Project Photos
See the photos below for examples of finished projects. Click the thumbnails to view larger images.
Required Tools
- Shovels (flat and pointed)
- Wheelbarrow
- Hard Rake
Materials Needed
- River Rock or Garden Boulders
- Gravel of various sizes
- Landscape Nails or Sod Staples
- Landscape Fabric
Coverage Calculations
- Large River Gravel: 3/4″ – 1 1/4″, ~ 80 sq. ft. per ton (optional)
- X-Large River Gravel: 1/2″ – 3″, ~ 60 sq. ft. per ton (optional)
- Small River Rock: 1″-3″ round, ~75 sq. ft. per ton
- Medium River Rock: 3″-6″ round, ~ 50 sq. ft. per ton
- Large River Rock: 6″-12″ round, ~ 25 sq. ft. per ton
Preparation
- Please remember to call before you dig! Having to repair broken utilities will cost you more time and money than expected. In Georgia, call 1-800-282-7411 or visit www.gaupc.com
- Before beginning, mark the project area to get proper measurements and a visual reference of where your dry creek bed will be installed.
- Measure the area to determine the amount of material needed.
- Dry creek beds can be any size but try to keep the scale appropriate to the surrounding landscape. Typically, dry creek beds are installed in natural drainage areas and should be large enough to handle a good summer downpour.
- We recommend mixing one part large river rock to two parts medium river rock to one part small river rock or gravel. This mix provides a good starting point for creating natural-looking dry creek beds.
- Bring your measurements and project ideas to Stone Forest and speak with one of our experts to make sure you have all the proper materials and tools for a successful project.
Installation
- Remove soil from the project area and place the excess along the sides. You want to create a smooth, shallow ditch or gully the length of the dry creek bed. Dig the sides of the creek bed deep enough so that when the stone is placed in the bed, the stone is almost flush with the surrounding grade.
- Once the ditch is finished, lay down the landscape fabric. If your landscape fabric is in multiple pieces and not one continuous piece, then start at the end of the dry creek bed and work towards the beginning of the bed so that the landscape fabric overlaps downhill. This will help prevent the fabric from collecting stones, silt and debris. Use landscape spikes or sod staples to hold down the landscape fabric.
- Place the larger stones (we recommend one part large river rock) in the bed first. Make sure to place some of these larger stones along the edges as well as throughout the bed. Large stones help to slow down and redirect water within the creek.
- Next install the medium-sized stones (we recommend two parts medium river rock). These stones should fill in the majority of the bed space.
- After you have placed all of the medium and large stones, you should be left with only gaps to fill. Fill in the gaps with the smaller river rock or gravel to complete the dry creek bed (we recommend one part small river rock or gravel). You may also want to line the edges with river gravel to produce a smooth transition.
Project Tips
- Dig the edges of the creek bed deeper so that the stone is almost flush with the surrounding grade when you have finished placing the stone. This will give the creek bed a more natural look. With this option, the bed will look like it has always been there and not simply stuck on top of the ground.
- Palletized River Rock comes in pre-sorted sizes so you can easily separate the large ones from the smaller ones.
Maintenance
- To avoid overflow during heavy rain, you occasionally should blow the leaves and debris from the creek bed to make sure no silt is building up.
The Fine Print
Please be aware that each project is unique and may pose different obstacles and circumstances that this guide cannot foresee. It is intended as a reference only. Most of these installation techniques are great for our geographic location here in Atlanta, GA. Soil conditions and climate play a large role in how each project is constructed. Stone Forest cannot be held liable for any damages incurred by the use of this guide.
Please seek a professional contractor’s advice if you are uncomfortable with undertaking a project you have not completed before.