How to make water bars in a driveway?

[Garrett2006]

Looking for some good info or video on how to make water bars in a gravel road the proper way. I have a driveway repair job coming up and e customer wants them added in the driveway. I知 sure several on here have some good advice on making them. I値l be using the box blade and land plane to redo his driveway, but have a skid steer if that痴 need to construct the water bars. Thanks

 

[farmeratheart]

We made these from pressure treated 2x4’s and a 2x6 and 2” pipe nipples. Sunk 3 of them into my sister-in-law’s gravel driveway. They have controlled erosion really well. They can be kept clean of leaves and debris with a leaf blower.

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[/pine]

The first rule of designing any type of storm water runoff system in simple terms is "the year storm size"...
...A swale designed for a 25 year storm can be much less severe than one designed for say a 100 year storm...

Assuming there is no crown (defeats the purpose of a bar or swale etc.) the lane should be pitched enough to the low side so only minor accumulations reach a swale...the runoff should run across the lane not down it...the latter will always cause wash ruts...

Effective swales can be quite mellow and not seem like speed bumps etc...

 

[fried1765]

We made these from pressure treated 2x4’s and a 2x6 and 2” pipe nipples. Sunk 3 of them into my sister-in-law’s gravel driveway. They have controlled erosion really well. They can be kept clean of leaves and debris with a leaf blower. View attachment 650289

Be certain to use ground contact PT.
The standard PT from the big box stores is usually junk.
You need .60 CCA treatment

 

[Pixguy]

We made these from pressure treated 2x4’s and a 2x6 and 2” pipe nipples. Sunk 3 of them into my sister-in-law’s gravel driveway. They have controlled erosion really well. They can be kept clean of leaves and debris with a leaf blower. View attachment 650289

I built one with a 2x10 and a 4x4 on either side allowing a 2" trough. Pricey but very strong.

 

[LouNY]

What I do is put a small furrow in mine at a steep angle.

 

[ruffdog]

Using rubber belting is interesting too:

Waterbars: DIY erosion prevention for roads, paths and trails

 

[Peter 315]

The rubber belting is how New Hampshire does it on the atv trails in the state forest......

 

[LouNY]

I like the wooden ones and the wood and belting ones but I would wonder about snow plows in the winter,
and it would be quite a bit of labor to install and remove every year.