Field Drainage

[ziegler]

I have 15 acres, 210x3000+ft. There is a town drainage ditch about 2000ft back going side to side and a drop of about 10ft from the street. There is always water sitting, must be a lot of clay, but if I dig a hole in the center and pump I can dry out 50-100 ft around it. I was thinking of cutting a ditch in the middle a few feet deep to drain to the back ditch, or set perforated 4" with a sock to not get in the way of the farmer that bales the canary grass (planted this year). I would like a pond but the town limits are 1 acre and 100ft from property line with out a variance. Any ideas? I have a MF 65 with 14ft backhoe, 8ft back blade, 6ft tiller, 7ft box blade.

Thanks.

 

[DaveOmak]

Is the land leased? If so, you can't do anything to it.

 

[ziegler]

No lease or contract.

 

[1010]

I would check for and underground lines. Second talk to my local NRCS office to see if a 404 permit is required.
I would not cut a ridge, I would follow the way the water flows during very wet periods for cutting the ditch. JMO

DAVID,

 

[DanD78]

A trencher would be faster than your hoe. Make sure it cuts wide enough for your tile. Just did the same thing you are talking about on my sisters property. We added an inlet at the edge of her property where the water comes on to her to help catch some of he surface run off. Around here we don't use the sock on the tile. Just direct bury the slitted 4" plastic.

Dan

 

[jdmar]

Talk to your local people-AG extension, excavators, etc. A lot depends on your soil type. I put in over 2000' of 6" perforated line earlier this summer..but it is in soft muck (peat type) soil. I then have a lot (and more to come) 4" lines with sock that connect to that. If you have clay it may be worth putting gravel next to and above your pipe.

Field drain works strangly...they drip and run slowly all the time but don't dry out standing water all that fast. If you have low areas that collect standing water--or you can swail the land to low areas. You can then add uprights from you below ground line to either an above ground perforated pipe (I think these are call Higgenbothums or close to that!) or to a surface drain with gate. These upright drains clear the heavy surface water fast, then the perforated below ground line keeps the water table a bit lower. A lot depends on how much surface run you have and how well your soil percolates laterally.

Mine has helped a lot but you end up puttin in a lot of pipe to solve these problems.
Peter