Drainage problem

I have a large grassy area, 2-3 acres, across the creek from the house. When we have a fair amount of rain we get large areas of standing water. There are several low areas but the largest is fed from the pasture next door, which is mostly mud from the horses running around. As the water runs down the slope toward the creek it expands into a larger area because of a depression and can't really get to the creek. Eventually the water is absorbed and the area dries out.

I can't afford to regrade so I'm thinking of putting in some drain lines. My original thought was to lay out a finger pattern or maybe just make straight runs to the creek.

It occurred to me that if I find the lowest spot I could put in a sump and then run a drain from there to the creek. That way I won't tear up as much of the grass and it would be a lot cheaper.

I'm open to any suggestions or comments as to the pros and cons of either system.

Thanks,

Mike

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] The former prairie that is today's Corn Belt is loaded with undergound drainage lines that are installed mainly to prevent erosion. The idea is to build a subtle terrace across the slope and install an intake device which can restrict the entrance of water just enough that the pipe that it connects to will not overwhelm whatever it dumps into, be it a creek, or another pond. The terrace has just enough ponding capability behind it to act as a retention dam for not more than 24 hours. Everything is sized to drain away the surface water completely in 24 hours. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] You can enlist the efforts of the SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE to help you get the engineering right. Just say "farm runoff" and you'll get their attention. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]