Culvert Maintenance

Do you have standing water in your yard after a rain event? If so, you probably have a clogged culvert on your property. A culvert is a section of pipe used to divert water that runs under a road or driveway. Culverts tend to become clogged when trash and natural yard debris from weeds and grass in the summer, and from leaves in the fall.  If this sediment build-up is not removed, drainage can slow or stop entirely, leading to flooding and erosion of your yard and driveway or even on your neighbors’ or public property, resulting in costly repairs.

Bixby City Code

13-1-1: OBSTRUCTIONS, ACCUMULATIONS:

No person shall allow any filth, dirt or other obstructions of any kind to accumulate in any gutter, drainage way or bar ditch adjoining their property, and all owners or occupants of property located within the city are required to keep the drainage ways or bar ditches adjoining the premises owned or occupied by them open, clean and free from trash and of other obstructions to the easy and rapid flow of water through such ditch, and to maintain the ditch at a low enough elevation to permit drainage to flow easily along the way established for such drainage. (2006 Code)

If the sediment build-up is near the pipe’s entrance and exit points, you can usually use a shovel or a hoe to remove and clear debris away, provided too much debris has not built up.  If the clog is located deeper inside the pipe, solutions can be a bit more complicated and may require a professional as not to damage the culvert.  There are tools made especially for cleaning culverts and can be purchased online, should you choose to clean it yourself.  Another option is to create an extended shovel by welding pipe to the head of a shovel and inserting it in the culvert to clear away the debris.

Please dispose of the removed debris and sediment in a trash bag or waste receptacle for removal from your property.