How to cover drainage ditch while retaining function

Question

My property has an above ground, water drainage channel running thru the middle of my back yard. During a rain event, this channel carries water from my neighbors property (seen top right in my first photo) across to the other (low) side of my property. I've never seen it fill completely, but it does have an actual drainage purpose.

What can I do to cover this so that someone can walk over it, but still maintain it's purpose as a channel for water runoff? We are looking for medium-term solutions that would make it easier to get equipment from the garage into the back yard (lawn mower, wheelbarrow, etc) as well as provide a safer place for our children to play in the yard.

Answer 1

Depending how full it gets in a rain event, filling it with drainage rock (3/4" + with no fines) might also work. That lowers the capacity as it takes up part of the channel, but provides a stable walking or rolling surface while permitting water to drain.

If it runs more than half-full as it is, that's probably not a good idea.

Answer 2

The simplest solution is to use a bunch of planks and lay them across the channel with a bit of spacing. Kinda like a wooden deck.

However you will want to be able to easily remove them to clean the channel.

So instead of screwing them down into the wood bordering the channel you can instead fasten the boards together with a pair of wooden strips so it fits snugly into the channel.

Answer 3

Better to leave this as is. Custom metal grates would greatly reduce tripping hazard while walking over this, but would not be cheap. An underground horizontal drain can plug up with leaves and other debris and will need multiple surface sinks with gratings and down pipes which are a hazard.

Digging underground drains runs into tree roots, irrigation pipes and control wires, sewer lines. Is costly and requires expertise to avoid low spots giving standing water in which mosquitos breed.