Shoreline Drainage

Protect Your Property. Preserve Our Shorelines.

Proper shoreline drainage is essential for protecting your property, preventing erosion, and maintaining the health of your waterfront environment.

At R&R Excavating, we design and install effective drainage solutions that manage runoff, reduce flooding risk, and preserve the natural beauty of your shoreline.

Request a call back for your shoreline drainage consultation.

Shoreline Drainage Solutions

R&R Excavating helps waterfront property owners take control of water before water takes control of their property.

• Stop uncontrolled runoff from flowing over your bluff
• Redirect stormwater away from vulnerable slopes
• Replace cracked and failing drainage lines
• Install tight-line systems and controlled drainage routes
• Reduce soil saturation and standing water
• Address drainage conditions contributing to erosion
• Build solutions around the unique conditions of your property
• Coordinate with engineers and shoreline professionals when needed
• Protect homes, structures, and waterfront investments
• Create a clear path from drainage problem to constructed solution

Water is moving across your property. The question is, are you controlling where it goes?

Our Approach to Shoreline Drainage

We evaluate your property's unique conditions and design customized drainage systems that work with the natural landscape to provide long-term protection.

Step 1. Understanding Stormwater on Your Property

Natural patterns of stormwater flow include overland "sheet flow that runs freely across the surface, but also groundwater flowing beneath the surface. Sheet flow can flow over bluffs and down the bluff face, causing erosion, scour, and shallow landslides. Groundwater often flows out to the marine environment via seeps or springs, which emerge from the bluff face at the contact between a permeable (like sand or loose gravel) and a less permeable geologic layer (cemented tillor clay). Flow patterns can vary greatly across small distances along the shore due to geology, topography and coastal development and regrading.

When native vegetation is removed and replaced with impermeable surfaces (roofs, driveways, etc.), the evapotranspiration provided by the vegetation is lost, and the ability of the ground to absorb water is diminished. These modifications can result in additional sheet flow and saturated soils, which increases the risk of slope instability or landslides.

Get to Know Your Drainage System

Do you know where your stormwater drains to? If not, investigate where your property's runoff goes, if a piped drainage system is in place, and what condition it's in. Create a sketch to identify significant drainage features on your property. This should include:

• What ditches or pipes are present, and where do they go?
• Are you connected to a shared system, such as a neighbor's system or public system?
• How is runoff managed from the driveway and other pavement?
• How does runoff get from your yard to the Puget Sound? Is there an outfall structure?
• How is runoff managed from the roof, deck, or other structures?
• Do you have a septic system? If so,where is the septic drainfied located?
• Do you have an irrigation system? How is it controlled?

Step 2. Spotting Stormwater Problems

Step 3. Implementing Best Practices for Stormwater Management

Step 4. Call in the Professionals

When to Get Help

Professional assistance from shoreline experts is recommended or may be required for certain scenarios.

These include but are not limited to:

• If bluff stability poses a safety concern or risk to a structure
• Getting design support for complex projects
• When navigating the regulatory process (permitting needs, legal issues, etc.)
• Work involving steep slopes, erosion, or bulkheads

How to Find Support

The Share Friendly Program is a great starting point for determining what professional assistance may be available for your property. Shore Friendly offers site assessments.

Qualifications for Professionals

What to Look For

To ensure that work is completed in a correct and cost-effective manner, use caution when choosing professionals to work on your property:

• Look for professionals that have experience working on the shoreline and bluffs and are property insured, bonded, and licensed (if applicable).
• Before hiring anyone, ask for references for similar work and call the references.
• Request photos and drawings of their work to review.
• Most work along shorelines requires permits. Confirm this with your local planning department and be sure your chosen contractor follows the requirements.

Need Help Assessing Your Property?

The Shore Friendly program offers free site visits to help shoreline property owners make informed decisions about drainage to reduce the potential for increased erosion. Additional assistance with design, permitting, and implementation of solutions is also available to qualified landowners through a cost-share program.

Why Choose R & R Excavating

When selecting a contractor for your shoreline drainage, R & R Excavating brings decades of specialized knowledge for every project.

• Licensed, bonded, and insured for your protection
• Free estimates provided within 3 to 5 days
• Established in 1990 with over 30 years of experience
• Locally and veteran owned and operated
• Services provided within 3-5 business days
• Up to a lifetime guarantee on pipe bursting
• Specialized heavy equipment for efficient pool excavation
• Detailed project planning that anticipates challenges
• Careful protection of existing landscaping and structures

Our dedication to quality shoreline drainage work has made us the preferred contractor throughout Whatcom County.

Contact Us

Whether you're experiencing erosion, standing water, or stormwater runoff concerns, R&R Excavating can provide a customized solution designed for your property.

Contact us today to discuss your shoreline drainage project and protect your waterfront property for years to come.