Flood Prevention: Making a Floodway

Flood prevention is one thing you should never take for granted, particularly, if it constantly rains in your area. Take note that being prepared for flood problems is the best way to prevent damages to your property.

You can resolve these flooding concerns by making floodway, which guides the water to nearby drainage systems or creeks.

Step 1 - Get the Location Ready

Determine first the appropriate location for the floodway. Take note that the floodway should serve as your house’s simple measure for flood prevention. Most experts preferred to position the floodway near a drainage hub, wherein the flood can flow directly to a bigger channel. The canal will guide the water out from your house’s direction and will prevent flooding your place.

Step 2 – Design Your Floodway

After determining the floodway’s location, you can now decide for its design. Employ an engineer for expert and precise flood prevention considerations regarding your floodway. Otherwise, you can browse the Internet or small floodways construction related books for reference. Ensure that you have ample and related knowledge in making a floodway, especially if you did not employ a specialized aid in the construction, to maximize your budget.

Step 3 – Budget and Supplies

Next, settle on the budget needed for your floodway project. List the supplies and equipment needed before buying to ensure everything is within the budget. Store and prepare the construction materials purchased near the chosen floodway area for easy transport.

Step 4 – Flood Prevention Means

To start the construction, measure and dig at least 4 to 5 feet high hole in the ground. The measurement is only applicable for small scale flood prevention system for smaller homes, so the floodway dimension depends on how big is the area of the entire property.

The floodway’s distance end to end depends significantly on the street drainage’s distance from your home’s floodway channel.

Step 5 – Floodway Construction

Once done with the measurement and excavation job, you are now all set for the floodway’s construction. First, mix up the cement with river rocks. Then, pour the cement mixture at the floodway’s ditch base. After concreting the whole floodway’s base, you can now begin pouring cement along its sides. Make sure to have 5 to 7 inches thickness of concrete, so that the floodway’s walls are really strong. Walls should stand the hard-hitting pressure of water overflow during floods.

If the floodway is just small, it is not necessary to be covered. However, if it is directly connected to a bigger street drainage system, you may consider covering it for safety purposes. Remember to follow safety precautions as well as county guidelines in making home floodways as flood prevention means.