How This Dry Creek Captures Thousands of Gallons in Every Texas Storm

Dry creek + street runoff = free irrigation and less Texas flooding. In this video, I show exactly how I built a $500 dry creek bed to capture street water and recharge my soil. Central Texas floods fast—so I turned my front yard into a rainwater harvesting system using a meandering creek, smart rock placement, and native plants (no landscape fabric). You’ll see how I mapped the route, the budget electric tiller that made digging easy, dimensions that work (≈6" deep x 4' wide), how to armor the spillway, and the grasses/shrubs now thriving on stormwater. Check out the 1-page project plan on my Patreon here (I'll keep it free for 7 days!) -   / how-i-built-yard-140277983   ⏰ CHAPTERS: 00:00 – Why a $500 dry creek (and what it solves) 01:00 – The street-runoff opportunity (‪@Brad_Lancaster_Water_Harvester‬ insight) 02:00 – How to spot runoff entry points at your home 03:00 – Mapping a natural, meandering creek (2–4 ft wide) 04:00 – Safety check: where overflow goes if it fills 04:30 – The tool that made digging realistic (budget tiller) 05:00 – Dimensions that work: ~6" deep, ~4' wide 05:45 – Hose test: dialing in grade before rocks 06:00 – Storms prove the concept (massive capture) 07:00 – Rock strategy: big focal stones → medium → small 08:00 – Critical spillway armor (handle impact, stop erosion) 08:20 – Don’t use landscape fabric (let water infiltrate) 09:00 – Planting the edges: native grasses to lock berms 10:00 – Shrubs/trees for screening that love heat + floods 11:00 – Evergreens + structure around the creek 12:00 – Healthier soils via roots + sheet mulching 13:00 – The numbers: gallons, $500 cost, 8–10 hrs work 14:00 – Imagine every yard doing this (flood impact) 15:00 – Free 1-page plan + email course (CTA) 🌿 TOOLS & RESOURCES MENTIONED: Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Vol. 1 by Brad Lancaster → https://amzn.to/3KRW7NB Rainwater Harvesting for Drylands and Beyond, Vol. 2 by Brad Lancaster → https://amzn.to/4pPYtwr Garden Tiller I used → https://amzn.to/4mHJF0b (Some links are affiliate links. At no extra cost to you, they help support this channel and my work, sharing Texas Native Plant landscaping and water-wise projects.) 🌱 GET STARTED WITH TEXAS NATIVE PLANTS 📬 Free 7-Day Mini Course: Learn how to design a beautiful, low-maintenance landscape that saves water and supports wildlife. → https://coryames.com/txnative/ 🗞 MY NEWSLETTERS: 📰 Texas Field Notes — Deep dives into native plants, Texas ecology, and stories from the land → https://cory-ames.kit.com/9a43cf682f 📍 The San Antonio Something — Local stories, culture, and curated events to help you know where you live → https://cory-ames.kit.com/cfc0c898b2 💼 WANT TO WORK WITH ME? I collaborate with mission-driven brands and organizations to tell stories that make Texas wilder and wiser. → Learn more or get in touch: https://coryames.com/work/ 🔗 CONNECT 📸 Instagram:   / coryames.tx   🌐 Website: https://coryames.com 📧 LinkedIn:   / amescory   🔒 Patreon:   / coryames   👇 ABOUT ME Hi, I’m Cory — telling the stories that make Texas wilder & wiser. Through essays, short films, and hands-on native-plant guides, I chronicle the plants, people, and places redefining sustainability in San Antonio and across the Lone Star State, all gathered here for anyone ready to dig in and explore. Subscribe for weekly videos. #DryCreek #RainwaterHarvesting #Texas #SanAntonio #DIYLandscaping #Stormwater #NativePlants #Xeriscape