Dry Creek Bed Design & Installation

Completed Dry Creek Bed

When our client contacted us to design and install two dry creek beds in the garden we previously created for them, we couldn't wait to get started because we knew it would be such a fun project. So what is a dry creek bed?

What is a dry creek bed?

A dry creek bed is a great solution to drainage problems or excess water that makes a lovely garden feature too. The concept behind the dry creek bed is to move excess water away from areas where it isn't desired during times of heavy rainfall. The water will run in the creek when it rains but remain dry when it doesn't. It mimics a natural seasonal creek bed.

The dry creek bed reduces erosion by slowing water, capturing it, and giving it time to soak into the soil, which helps improve the drought tolerance of your garden. By slowing storm-water runoff, you can protect local streams, creeks, and rivers from storm-water surges that harm wildlife and erode the banks of waterways.

Dry Creek Bed Under Construction

Note the storm water drain and flat rock below which spreads the water out to reduce erosion.

Dry Creek Bed Design

The brief was to make the creek bed look as natural as possible and to integrate it into the existing garden, as if it had always been there. We achieved this by using various sizes of river pebble and designed the shape of the bed to follow the natural lay of the land. We selected local native plants which would tolerate both periodic water inundation and times of drought. These plants grow naturally along dry creek beds, further adding to the natural aesthetic. 

Our client was thrilled with the result and told us it looked exactly as they had hoped and imagined, which makes us pretty happy too!

Second Completed Dry Creek Bed