Drainage Basin
Welcome to drainagebasin.org! What is a drainage basin? Visit our site to learn more about drainage, yard drainage solutions and more.
A drainage basin is a naturally occurring stretch of land that funnels precipitation and excess water to a nearby river or stream. These are also known as watersheds, catchments, and water basins. These basins are usually identifiable due to geographical markers such as mounds, hills and mountains. These dividing bodies of land determine the direction of the flow of water hence affecting the flora and fauna in nearby areas.
Upon formation a drainage basin can easily be recognized because these usually adopt identifiable patterns. When a basin drains precipitation the water flows in a hierarchical pattern. Smaller drainage basins come together eventually forming larger basins. Smaller basins generally lead water to streams and smaller bodies of water while larger basins generally contribute to rivers.
There are two commonly observable patterns when it comes to drainage basins. The first is a radial pattern. These occur around a highpoint such as mound or hill. Streams then flow downward from these elevated points. The second is the parallel pattern. This occurs when water from an elevated position, specifically massive rock fractures such as fault lines and joints these drainage patterns occur during right angles and usually form a rectangular pattern.
In cases where the basin is located in an area where a major rock formation is uprooted or is tilting upwards, the water will then flow along weaker areas of the rock formation. This is called a trellised pattern. When the basin flows from a common center such as a crater or a depression, the pattern is called annular. If there are high concentrations of erodible sediments, the water may flow in a pattern similar to a leaf’s veins. This is called a Dendritic pattern.
Aside from their natural purpose drainage basins have significant economic importance especially in land use planning. These basins along with the bodies of water that they are connected to must be considered during planning and the construction of irrigation systems and dams. In the United States, the benefits of well planned waterworks which take into consideration river basins are the states of Colorado, Columbia and Tennessee.
Common Drainage Problems in your Backyard
To understand different common drainage problems out there, you should first know how to recognize one. Inspection is a very vital part of the drainage system. The major signs of probable problem’s existence are when there are wet spots even after your backyard has already dried up and when there are field holes found. If any of the two is present, you should consider calling for a plumbing service.
Now that you are able to recognize the drainage problems, here are some the drainage problems that can occur in your own backyard.
- Proper draining is not achieved when soil interference occurs. The soil blocks parts or the whole part of the drainage.
- When backfilling is done carelessly, there will be problems on the alignment of the tubing to the drain tile which could lead to breakage.
- Entrance of soil inside the drain due to any of the following: cracks on the tile, incorrect incision of the perforation and/or huge areas in the tubing.
- When backfilling is too loose, soil can erode into the pipe.
- The pipe collapses due to having a weak pipe, too much load on the surface and/or poor backfilling jobs.
- Wastes and plant or tree parts get in the way by plugging the pipe.
- Presence of ochre accumulation in the drain pipe.
- Incorrect application of the envelope material because of placement issues, accumulation of ochre on the envelope, and/or breaking of the material
These are just some of the problems that are really a pain in the next. They can be fixed by anybody but you should have the proper knowledge first. If not, it would be wise to get a plumber because, as they say, nothing beats the expert. If you want your pipes to stay great, you should at least check on it once in a while.
A wet yard that is consistently muddy doesn’t always have to be a problem for a homeowner. There are some good yard drainage solutions that are very good at alleviating the problem. Some of these can be done easily on your own and some need the assistance of a professional. All of these yard drainage solutions will provide relief from a swamped yard.
The first way to drain a yard is with a French drain. A French drain is the most common of the yard drainage solutions and the easiest to install. This method is not good for a yard that has multiple drainage issues. However, if you have one area of the yard that is consistently wet, a French drain should get the job done. This drain will redistribute the water from one area to another. You can likely install a French drain yourself.
A dry well is a little more involved and is a solution for larger drainage issues. This type of drainage system may also involve too much digging to do on your own. This yard drainage system uses gravity, a trench (on a gradient) and a pooling area to divert the water to a holding area. The water can then disperse slowly from the dry well as opposed to pooling in the yard. This is a great solution for very wet yards. It does require the digging of a very large hole and a long trench as much as three to four feet down.
Finally, the best drainage solution is a sump pump. This is also the solution that is the most expensive and will likely require the help of a professional. Sump pumps require electricity and literally pump the water out of the area to a new location. The water is usually diverted to another location where it can drain without causing problems in the new drainage location. This is the most effective way to move water away from a home and out of a wet yard.
Drainage basin is a land area where excess water from the rain, snow or melted ice exits to a single point like the river, lake, sea, ocean and other water bodies. It act as a funnel by collecting the water and channels through one area covered by the basin. Historically, drainage basins have been important in determining boundaries especially in regions where trade by water is their source of living.
In ecology, drainage basin is an important source of nutrients, sediments and pollutants from the water flowing through the drainage and river. They are transported towards the outlet of the basin that greatly affects the ecological processes. From here, other living things surrounding the area will surely receive its natural source abundantly to survive.
Economically wise, it actually is the source of coals and fuels. The accumulation of swamp plants remains forms coals. It is indeed helpful in making our home produce heat from cold. It is actually serve as a survival kit into one’s day to day activities. Also, petroleum deposits are formed due to the accumulation of marine organisms on the sea bed. The burial of these organisms by sediments and heating, eventually produce fuels.
It is indeed amazing that the drainage system such as this is very helpful both on the household and the living organisms around it. It is something that definitely benefits every living organism around the area. It is so amazing to realize the effect of the water drains out of your house benefits other living creature. Well, this world really does not allow a small detail of living thing put into waste. All has its own purpose and the key for one’s survival. Each is definitely made for the survival of another.
