Most cost effective way to divert water

[OhioCowboy]

Was the property that way when you bought or inherited it?

 

[crazyal]

Without a tractor I think your options are limited. If you had one I think I would just get a 3pt scoop and divert what it digs off to the side. Maybe in the middle of summer when it's dry. Do it in minimal passes and even a very small tractor could handle it. As for the state or town (whomever owns the road) I think at best they may extend the ditch to the tree line if you asked them the next time they come out to clean the ditch but since that looks more like a wetland than a field I think you're out of luck. If it was a field you mowed or hayed I could see trying but not that.

 

[boostmg]

Thanks for the photos...it certainty makes everything more clear. It appears that natural drainage is coming from the road anyway, its quite flat terrain, very gentle slopes, and from the large amount of standing water, your surface soil probably has a high clay content. You won't have to worry about surface erosion, as water movement will be steady...but slow enough to avoid erosion. That means concrete and its associated expense won't be necessary.

I admire your determined efforts to resolve the water drainage issue. Hand digging a trench was certainly effective, and a lot of hard work. Perhaps renting a large trencher with 6" width would speed of the process.

Gravel filled French drains in my opinion will not be needed, and would be less efficient in water movement, than simply keeping the trench open.

Awesome thank you

Lordy, that is what I call sweat equity! Well, it works. It may fill in with vegetation and silt over time however. I think you found a good excuse to buy a tractor At some point you might want to do something like my post #19

Yep sweat equity for sure and yep after i went out there this weekend and realize that i need to improve/maintain it i said there is no way i can keep doing this by hand.

After seeing the pictures I'd be tempted to say no to sod waterways and yes to good ditches.
Is there always that much water flowing or just occasionally?
If always or frequently that would be a ditching job and culverts to cross most of the time.

They are pretty frequently flowing, some more than others. Basically if all the ground is dry most will be slow or dry up, otherwise theres usually a steady flow. If i can see water on the road, then they will usually be filled.

Was the property that way when you bought or inherited it?

The water was coming onto it when i bought it ... but i had to figure out the flow the water was taking and where it was coming from, to which i then identified and built the trenches.

 

[Tony H]

I am lucky that all the water naturally flows downhill, i just realized that my one largest and most flowing trench is overflowing because i have it hitting levelish ground, but i think i can divert into another trench that it can also naturally flow into, but would then flow behind the area it’s currently flooding.

my friend in landscaping told me about rip rap and it seems awesome, but it seems like i have so much area to cover that rock gets very expensive. (But i don’t know bc I’m inexperienced here)

put it this way, if i could just dig out trenches like i have now, no liners or anything and just have to maintain them filling in or unclogging them, id be ok with that. I just don’t know if there are longer term effects, i do believe i have water which sleeps through the walls of the trenches in spots because I’ll get random areas of wet ground which i believe is “under flow” for lack of a better term.

If i do need some kind of lining/pipe then i need to know the cheapest way out.

My thought is to simply dig them out deeper then you think you need. Some areas will erode and collapse. But if dug a bit deeper then you need, it will simply take the steepness out of your trench. Still will work fine. Other areas my erode a bit wider or deeper, still not an issue. If you want, adding some large (4-6") stone will help keep the land from shifting. By me I have had to do French drains and culverts and trenches. The trenches seem to change shape until they hit clay then they stabilize.

 

[Tony H]

I completely agree with you the issue is we’ve contacted the state they said they could basically do whatever they want, and any lawyer we talked to didn’t have much of a solution.

the closest solution we got from a lawyer was that his argument would be to have the state compensate us per acre for the land effected by this, but then we were running the risk of the land being classified as wetlands, which it’s not and which we wouldn’t want either.

The state dumped 'new' water onto your land that sounds like it sits in your treeline. Maybe the idea of this new water causing root rot and killing your trees might add some leverage to getting them to run a quick trench with dozed or backhoe. Of course the state will say that they need to meet state standards for this simple trench. It will cost the state millions for this simple trench. I wonder if you have a County soil and water group that can help you out with equipment or give the State a bit of a spanking

 

[DieselBound]

I'd make sure that you don't get yourself ensnared in some legal action based on any work you're looking to do: that would be the epitome of irony. Maybe contact/consult with a geo-engineer?

Cutting across slopes is the way to go as it'll help reduce erosion (and is best at cutting off the most surface water).

Once you have ditches you have maintenance. Just a fact of life.

 

[beenthere]

Thanks for the photos...it certainty makes everything more clear. It appears that natural drainage is coming from the road anyway, its quite flat terrain, very gentle slopes, and from the large amount of standing water, your surface soil probably has a high clay content. You won't have to worry about surface erosion, as water movement will be steady...but slow enough to avoid erosion. That means concrete and its associated expense won't be necessary.

I admire your determined efforts to resolve the water drainage issue. Hand digging a trench was certainly effective, and a lot of hard work. Perhaps renting a large trencher with 6" width would speed of the process.

Gravel filled French drains in my opinion will not be needed, and would be less efficient in water movement, than simply keeping the trench open.

What am I missing? I didn't see nor could find any pics posted of or by the OP boostmg.

Are they forthcoming?

 

[dodge man]

I see pics on the previous page. Page 2 that is.

 

[thclimer]

I don't see the pictures either?

 

[grove111]

Has nobody heard of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)? Previously called the Soil Conservation Service (SCS). Most counties in the US Have a branch. Contact them and they should be able to help. Another consideration that many people may not realize is that any water which comes onto your property is now you worry. Contractors know that the best thing to prevent problems with someone else's water is to prevent it from coming onto your property in the first place.