# I found a hole in my yard. A really big, deep hole. Now what?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-a-hole-in-my-yard-a-really-big-deep-hole-now-what/960460>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 4, 2022, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-a-hole-in-my-yard-a-really-big-deep-hole-now-what/960460 "2022-03-04T16:14:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-a-hole-in-my-yard-a-really-big-deep-hole-now-what/960460/21 "2022-03-04T18:46:42Z")

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Some regions and states have incentive programs to fund work that minimally delays stormwater from hitting sewage systems. Features like rain gardens mentioned above often qualify.

For example in Portland OR there is Clean Rivers Reward Program.

> **[Clean River Rewards](https://www.portland.gov/bes/grants-incentives/clean-river-rewards-0)**
>
> Does the rain that runs off your roof safely soak into the ground on your property instead of going into the city’s sewer and stormwater pipes? As a homeowner or renter, you could save up to $130 a year on the on-site stormwater charges of your bill....

In my town, a suburb outside of Chicago, a friend had a sizable chunk of landscaping cost rebated by incorporating stormwater runoff retention features.

It might be worth investigating if any such programs apply by you.

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**Author:** ![Mnemnosyne](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mnemnosyne/32/3347_2.png) [@Mnemnosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnemnosyne)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-a-hole-in-my-yard-a-really-big-deep-hole-now-what/960460/22 "2022-03-04T19:01:22Z")

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Could fill it with gravel a little at a time. That way you don’t have a mess of stinky water going anywhere. If you just toss a few shovelfuls of gravel into it every day for however long it takes to fill up, the gravel will slowly force the water out and the water will go away on its own without making too much of a mess, since only a few shovelfuls of it get displaced each time.

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**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\
**Post date:** [March 4, 2022, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-found-a-hole-in-my-yard-a-really-big-deep-hole-now-what/960460/23 "2022-03-04T21:08:31Z")

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> [@Lancia](#):
>
> I will be waiting until late summer when it is dry to do anything with it.

Presumably you’re going to put some sort of cover over it in the meantime; sturdy enough to keep children, dogs, etc. from falling in.

> [@Dinsdale](#):
>
> Wouldn’t be surprised if your neighbor’s concrete exceeded the permitted nonporous coverage, but he’s likely grandfathered.

Yeah, I was thinking that would probably be illegal here now (at least unless the neighbor owns a great deal of adjacent land, part of the same lot, that isn’t in impervious coverage); but that’s relatively recent legislation.

> [@kayaker](#):
>
> cut a 3 or 4 inch diameter hole in the center of the pit cover. Securely mount a bottomless trash can over the hole.
> 
> When the pit is filled with beer bottles and cans

No. Absolutely not.

People will throw things in there that shouldn’t get into the groundwater.

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