Are You Struggling with a High Water Table?

Did you learn your property has a high water table?  Land in just about any region of the state can have this condition.  High water tables can make construction challenging, notably if your plans included dreams of a basement, pool, or deep foundation.  Another problem exists when a structure is built in one of these zones without the proper mitigation techniques and begins to damage the building’s foundation or leak into the substructure later on.  Without good management, groundwater can result in severe structural problems.  The good news is that if your property has a high water table, professional excavators can implement mitigation strategies to make your land usable.

What is a high water table?

The term “high water table” is frequently used, but what does it mean exactly?  The ground consists of layers of rock, soil, sand, clay, and other similar natural materials.  Water comes in contact with the ground from several sources like rain, melting snow, absorption from waterways, etc.  In the best conditions, water should absorb into the ground until it hits an impenetrable surface such as bedrock or thick clay and then flow down to the nearest creek, river, pond, or lake.  The level at which the groundwater is sitting is the water table.

Types of Water Tables

Oregon’s land is diverse.  From mountains to valleys, land in Oregon stretches from sandy coastal regions to clay-filled fields to spans of acres of dry desert.  The geologic formations within the ground will impact how water absorbs and drains which determines how high or low the water table is.  There are two scenarios that will lead to water problems:  when the water in the ground is trapped from draining well, or when the influx of water is faster than the rate at which it can drain.

Perched Water Tables

A perched water table happens when water absorbs down to the impermeable layer but cannot drain down slope.  The water remains in this pocket and continues to fill more and more.  Just like water in a cup, the surface level gets higher and higher as more water collects.  Areas that have a high layer of bedrock or a good deal of clay in the ground can be susceptible to having perched water tables.

Seasonal High Water Tables

Seasonal high water tables aren’t impacted by the consistency of the ground, but instead, happen due to significant influxes of incoming water.  During times of heavy rainfall or melting snow, the amount of water may simply exceed the speed at which it flows downslope, resulting in an accumulation that fills higher space in the ground.

Mitigating High Water Tables

The best way to handle high water table issues on your property is to contact a professional excavation company like Excavation Oregon.  Here are some strategies they may use to improve the drainage on your land:

1. Install new drainage systems.  Water that collects in the ground around your home’s foundation can infiltrate the structure and weaken its integrity.  Installing surface and subsurface drainage systems can pull water away to keep your home safe.
2. Use underground piping systems.  Sometimes water problems exceed what surface drainage systems can accomplish.  Underground pipes or weeping tiles may be a more effective solution.  The ground is excavated to place the pipes on a gravel bed or trench below the soil level.  The system is installed with a slope to move water away from the problem area.  
3. Build a swale.  Using swales is a popular method for creating natural features to remove and direct water to a more desirable location.  Check out our previous article about swales.
4. Excavate and implement exterior waterproofing.  Waterproofing is often used in conjunction with other drainage solutions.  The ground around a foundation or basement exterior is excavated, a waterproofing material is applied to the outside walls of the structure, and then the ground is replaced.  

These four methods are by no means all the solutions available to landowners.  A professional excavation company will perform a full inspection of your land, take ground samples, and provide you with a plan outlining the most effective mitigation strategies for your property.

Excavation Oregon will help you mitigate issues related to a high water table.

When your land needs some work to make it function better, Excavation Oregon is the team to do it!  Based in Southern Oregon, we know the landscape and how to optimize the use of your property.  Our crews are experienced, using top-of-the-line equipment to do the job right the first time.  With Excavation Oregon by your side, you’ll rest easy knowing your land will be managed correctly, so your dream home or commercial building will stand the test of time.  Contact us today to learn more about all the services we offer.