drainagelawnwater
Per the picture, I have an interesting draining issue where some rain water will drain along my roof's edge to a spot on my lawn. Problem is that the water is pooling in heavier rains (see picture below)
Are there recommended ways to handle water pooling due to draining water?
This page says clay soil absorbs water at the rate of 1/2 inch per hour, 4 times slower than sandy soil or loam.
http://www.ornamentaledibles.com/tips/soil.htm
Let's assume you get 5-10 gallons per minute or 300-600 gallons per hour. A gallon is 231 cubic inches or 462 square inches 1/2 inch high. So 600 gallons/hour needs 277200 square inches or 1925 square feet. Assuming your trench is 12 inches wide, you need 1925 linear feet of pipe under steady state conditions.
Let's consider another situation where you store all the rain water and let it absorb as slowly as it wants. Assume you get 600 gallons which requires 80 cubic feet. So if your trench were 12" by 12" you would need 80 linear feet of pipe.
Most towns/cities will not be too happy with you, if you start cutting up their road. So you'll have to use a method that will be completely on your property.
The easiest solution would be to build up the area with a load of dirt. Using a wheelbarrow and a shovel, grab some dirt from another location in your yard. If you can't find a place in your yard to take dirt from, you could always purchase some from a gardening/landscape/home improvement store. Dump the dirt along the edge of the road until your hole becomes a hill, then feather it into the rest of the yard. Plant some grass, and grab one of @dbracey's margaritas and watch it grow.
A french drain would give the water a place to go.
Start by digging a trench right next to the road about 12" wide, and 12" deep (don't forget to call before you dig, so you don't damage any underground utilities). You want the water to drain away, so you'll want a drop of at least 1/8" for every 1' in length. For example. If the drain will be 20' long, the end of the drain will be 2 1/2" lower than the beginning. Next fill the trench with about 4" of crushed stone, and lay your drain pipe in the middle of the trench. You can use either rigid, or flexible pipe.
Fill the trench to about 2" from the top with more crushed stone, then finish filling the trench with topsoil. plant grass, and enjoy.
If you're familiar with working with concrete, and you like a more finished look. You could install a gutter, along the side of the road.
Just remember, you'll need the gutter to slope so water will run away. It's probably a good idea to install a dry well or other drainage method at the end of the gutter, so the water has a place to go (unless you don't care if you simply move the puddle to your neighbors yard).
Best Answer
Cut the down spout off about a foot and one half. Then fix a 45° bend to the bottom of the downspout. Now install a 3-4' section onto that elbow and extend it out onto the lawn. The rain water should now dissipate into the lawn before it can find its way back to that low spot. When mowing, set the extension to the side.