Have you ever heard of a swale?
It’s not a ditch, but maybe a ditch’s cousin. You might not know the name, but I guarantee you’ve seen one. It’s one of those things you don’t know it’s there because it’s there kind of thing.
A swale is basically a shallow, wide dip or trough in the ground that helps move water from one place to another — without tearing everything up in the process. It’s about giving water a place to go, nice and easy, instead of letting it barrel straight into your building, arena, driveway, parking lot — or whatever else you’d rather not see under water.
It’s similar to a ditch, not a ditch, and so much better than a ditch. Swales are what I’d call “purposely and intentionally constructed channels for waterflow” — graded with gentle slopes, wide bottoms, and often planted with turf or native grasses to slow down stormwater. They’re designed to work with nature, and are commonly a solution to a drainage problem.
💡 Swales help:
▪️Move water (without erosion)
▪️Slow down runoff from hard surfaces (like rooftops or parking lots)
▪️Protect your property and assets from deterioration
We use swales all the time — especially when we’re building pads or solving drainage issues. And nine times out of ten, we recommend them before jumping into an underground system with pipes and basins.
Why? Because it’s commonly more affordable, a swale is a natural feature that works with your land, after the initial vegetation process It’s low maintenance, preferably it blends seamlessly into the adjoining land which makes it mowable with standard turn grass, and blends into the turf area.
🛠️ We construct swales with laser precision — literally. Our equipment grades to exact specs so there’s no guesswork. When we finish a swale, there’s zero doubt where that water’s going.
💰 Swales are an investment and an “instant” solution.
We work with property owners who are serious about solving their water issues and ready to make thoughtful improvements.
If you’ve already collected a few opinions and are ready for results, or you’d like it right the first go around, we’d love to help.
➡️ A typical swale project with Reiss Earthworks starts around $5,000.
Less mess. Less erosion. Less standing water. More peace of mind. 🌾
Wondering if a swale could work on your property? Shoot me a message.
– Cami Reiss, “Dirt Girl”, CEO & President of Reiss Earthworks
Send me a message through the contact form on my website if you’d like to discuss a project, have an idea for me to write about, have a question (dirt or business-related), or have any feedback.
Note: Our blog posts are written from within the company. Sometimes by one, sometimes by many. Sometimes, they are like a friendship quilt in which everyone puts forth effort. They are not a result of a social media manager typing into artificial intelligence asking for a 900-word blog post, followed with copy and paste and calling it good. If Cami’s writing…. sentences are sometimes long and the thoughts bounce around. If Cali’s at the keyboard, nothing will be spelled correctly for sure. And if Cadi’s typing away, you’ll get “to the point” and probably spelled correctly. Yes, a lot of C names. Needless to say, clients don’t hire us to write for them (not yet, at least. We are interested in technical writing in our industry if anyone’s looking to hire us and provide housing in a warm winter climate- Only half kidding, of course.) Thanks for showing interest. The goal is to meet clients here and assist business owners on the same journey as us if we can.
The information provided in this blog is for general entertainment and informational purposes only. It is not intended to be construed as professional advice or a guarantee of service or result. While I aim to provide accurate and helpful information, any statements, details, or pricing shared are approximate and may change based on specific project details. Reiss Earthworks does not accept liability for any inaccuracies or errors. Always consult directly with us for precise estimates or advice for your specific project.
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