Fill with Stone and Landscape
At 4:10 in
Dry Well/Dry Bed Basin Installation
What happens here
Once lined, the pit is filled with filter stone, typically clean gravel or aggregate. The speaker advises leaving a few inches (e.g., 2-4 inches) of space from the top of the pit. This remaining space is then filled with topsoil, allowing for the planting of grass or other landscaping elements directly over the dry well. This conceals the dry well and allows it to blend seamlessly into the existing yard. Alternatively, decorative stone can be used for an exposed, aesthetic finish, or it can be integrated into a dry creek bed design. The dry well functions by allowing collected water to gradually seep back into the surrounding subsoil once rainfall ceases.
Goal: Create a functional, water-holding reservoir that is also aesthetically integrated into the landscape.
Tools and materials
- Shovel — Moving and distributing filter stone and topsoil
- Filter Stone — Filling the dry well to create void space for water retention
- Grass Seed or Sod — Revegetating the area above the dry well
- Landscaping Materials — Creating decorative finishes like exposed stone or a dry creek bed
- Topsoil — Backfilling the top layer for planting grass or other landscaping