Patent ID: 6948886

Claim:
In a system for preventing erosion of a bluff or hillside having a face extending between a toe at a bottom thereof and a crest at a top surface thereof, a water saturated zone extending rearwardly from the face and a failure shear plane spaced from the face, the bluff or hillside being subject to excess water accumulation contributing to land mass degradation thereof, the improvement comprising: at least one elongated drain member positioned behind the failure shear plane and extending continuously only downwardly and forwardly along a radius through the water saturated zone between the top surface of the bluff and the face of the bluff for the purpose of controlling drainage of the excess water accumulation, the drain member having a proximal end located at the top surface of the bluff or hillside, a medial portion extending completely through an entire height of the water saturated zone, and a distal end projecting from the face of the bluff or hillside adjacent the toe thereof, the drain member intercepting water throughout the entire height of the water saturated zone before reaching the shear failure plane.