Mazur Manor: French Trench

"We've got to stop the water from reaching the basement!"

His exclamation rung through my brain, and instantly my super strength whipped into gear!

I wish. I was sore for days after digging this wimpy ditch.

So, the temporary solution - and future solution - to the mudslide problem is called a french drain. For now, I'll be referring to it as a french trench, seeing as there is no drainage system in place!

Our home is nestled a little ways down slope from a stretch of homes on the plateau. Our property has three tiers: the house sits on the upper, the driveway on the second, and a field behind the barn on the lowest. Because of our location, all excess water from the neighborhood behind us, and the homes uphill, comes through our property and into our lowland. We call it the wetland.

At the moment we are unable to mow it.

And we only have a push mower right now anyway.

Can anyone say UNDER PREPARED?

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To say the least... we've got a drainage problem. BUT - one problem at a time. For now we've got to keep the basement from flooding!

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Here are some images that show our old plot lines and drainage canals. This seems to have been a large farm property at one time!

(Thank you to aunt Ilene, who is an engineer, for doing the research for us!)