Question
hello, was wondering if you might be able to help me. i have a natural spring that runs through my back yard. i bought the property this spring and quickly realizing that this is going to be quite a maintenance load to take care of. the previous owners lined half of the spring with a pool liner/heavy tarp which is good for keeping down most of the weeds. the problem is the sides are lined with lime stone,it looks nice when it is cleaned up, but is such a hassle as well. it is steady maint just dealing with grass clippings blowing in there and backing the thing up, let alone during the fall leaves from numerous mature trees just kills it. the rocks are constantly moving out of place due to raking and the help of my four legged friend(family dog) pulling them out. i was considering lining the sides with railroad timbers. thinking it will give a nice clean edge and cover more space then the rocks. i am just not sure how the timbers will hold up. i know they are good for quite some time but being directly against water i am not sure. if you could please give some insight to support this idea or if there is something else you might have in mind all suggestions at this point will be considered. thank you very much for your help.

helpless spring owner

Answer
Hello Travis!
Railroad ties and landscape timbers are not a good choice for any type of project involving water because the chemicals they are treated with (including arsenic) are detrimental to the environment.
A better choice would be the the blocks of rocks held together with strong wire (it looks like small hole wire fencing).