The area that I am working in on the side has a natural slope, I just kept the depth the same or close by using the bucket as a measure. The area I am concerned with has no slope, it goes cross ways of the natural slope. I am going to put in 4 inch corrugated pipe with a rock bed and cover over with rock, then soil. I am thinking maybe to just cut the back to slope to the pipe and have a slotted cover at that point and grass in the back. Really, as long as the water goes away from the barn and does not congregate, I am a happy camper.
Both ideas are right on, and make great sense. I have not seen the level or the 2x4 trick, but that is one of the great things about TBN, we learn from each other.
The transit is not a fancy one, less than 100.00 and can be used for other projects I have in mind, such as my pathway drainage project for the pond, fencing next year, etc. I even thought of making one out of a rifle scope I have, mount a dove tail mount to a piece of steel, put a 1/4 20 thread in it for mounting on tripod, mount a bubble and a pair of line levels to the steel. This would work for level and straight, but you could not do angles etc with it.
Don't have a need for a snowblower yet, I have always just used the front bucket to move snow, the post hole digger.......that will be useful with the fencing, and they are around 450.00 here.