Swampy poor drainage area/how to correct?

[Mitigator33]

I have an area of my property (1/8 acre to 1/4 acre at most) that is swampy. I recently cleared the trees that kept it in the dark and am waiting on the dry season to get here so it dries out. There is a creek that runs that side of the property about 20-50 feet away.

How do I get this area to drain better and not have standing water any longer?

I have a 50HP tractor with FEL and just purchased a box blade. So those are the tools I have to work with.

I was thinking of taking the box blade and cutting a drainage ditch and sloping everything to it and having it drain to the creek. I have never done this though and am not sure if that would work.

Scott

 

[jdmar]

If you have slope to the creek I would put in perforated drain lines underground. The older term is "tile draining" a field....but most use plastic now. If you have one central low spot you can add a basin or "Higgenbothom" to that area to rapidly drain the surface water.

I have wet "muck" soil...sort of like peat. I put in a bit over 2000 feet of 6 inch line last year and about 1000 feet (little less) of 4" line. I will add some more side feeders this year to help in the lower spots. The 6 inch line was just double wall perforated without a sock. Depending on your soil you may need a sock or gravel around the pipe. The 4inch feeders are single wall with a sock. The line drains 24/7/365 just about. Sometimes it is a slow trickle...other times pouring. You need very little slope to keep it going.

Just try to get deep enough not to crush with whatever equipment you have. The double wall is better for this obviously.

 

[nybirdman]

Google "french drain" ,as soon as it dries up some:I am going to be putting in about 400 ft. or so myself.

 

[Egon]

50HP tractor with FEL

That is all you need to make the trench. Start at the swamp end but far enough away so you are not working in water. Make the trench the width of the bucket. make it full depth and keep the bottom smooth as you go along. Then back-slope the sides and take out the plug that remains at the swamp end.:thumbsup:

It needs patience backing up the trench for each bucket of dirt.

Don't know how the "Wet Lands" thing affects your situation??

 

[Marty38]

I wish I was able to drain my red maple swamp

 

[ktm250rider]

I wish I was able to drain my red maple swamp

I wish I could just easily bridge my stream!

 

[Marty38]

I wish I could just easily bridge my stream!

I'm bound by all the Fed , State , and Local regs. I just want fewer mosquitos , and a.little more dry land .

 

[wrooster]

I was thinking of taking the box blade and cutting a drainage ditch and sloping everything to it and having it drain to the creek. I have never done this though and am not sure if that would work. Scott

Scott,

See
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/projects/178231-determining-if-french-drain-will-4.html#post2044573

And then google "French Drain". Order a couple of tons of 3/4" clean stone, get some lengths of 4" PVC (perf and non) and go at it.

Wrooster

 

[boggen]

you noted creek 20 to 50 feet away, but you did not mention height difference from top of water level in creek to swampy area.

nor did you state how water drainage is going on in that area.
examples... do you have some hills that are draining water into this area?
do you have possibly a spring?
is the area just lower compared to other areas?
is the area just a few inches above the creeks water level?

field tile, or french drain. most of it is all plastic pipe with slots or holes in them. as as other said you may or may not need a sock over the pipes, and you may or may not need rock around the pipe. to get good drainage.

but you may need to bring dirt in, and re-slope, re-do grade of dirt for that area. so it has a place to drain to. vs collecting in that area.

it may come down to, digging a regular ditch, like you see on the road side into this area. and then installing a 6", 8", 10", 12" or like culvert for this area. so you can drive across this area.

when dealing with soaked wet dirt. like marsh area. you may have to go at the project in stages so you can get tractor into areas to dig a ditch, or to install french drain, or to bring in dirt. and it may mean waiting a few months between each stage. as you wait for areas to dry out enough to drive over without getting stuck.

if you had a backhoe or excavator. it might be a tad different story than above paragraph. but dealing with the "getting stuck part" is still there.

 

[milkman636]

If you have some high ground with extra dirt on it, you could also pull some fill off and build up the swampy area so it'll drain without a ditch or drain. If you can build it up higher than the creek bank, and slope it slightly toward the creek, nature will drain it for you.