Task · part of 4. Study a real site, with permission first
4(b). Drainage, on the first copy
Required Often forgotten
Done on the first of the two copies made in 4(a). Three things get marked: which way the water runs, where the ditches are, and where it sits instead of draining away. The first two can be surveyed on any dry afternoon. The third is the only answer on this badge that has to wait for weather.
Notes and warnings
Warning. THE HARDEST PART OF THIS REQUIREMENT IS NOT VISIBLE ON THE DAY YOU DO IT. Slope you can see and ditches you can see, but WHERE WATER STANDS FOR A LONGER PERIOD only shows itself when it has rained. Three honest ways to get that answer. Go back to the site after heavy rain, which is the best answer and the reason to open requirement 4 early. Ask somebody who is there every day, because a custodian, a groundskeeper or a sexton knows exactly where the puddle sits and will usually walk you to it. Or read the marks water leaves behind: moss, silt lines, worn or bare grass, sunken paving, algae on concrete, and a change in what grows. Whatever you do, do not guess from the contours alone, because standing water is usually caused by something that is not slope, such as compacted ground, a blocked drain or a kerb in the wrong place, and finding that thing is what makes 4(c) worth writing.
Where this step comes from
- Landscape Architecture Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-09-19), Requirement 4(b) · The requirement asks for directional arrows showing where water drains, where ditches occur, and where water stands for a longer period of time.