Diggin ditches...

[Speedling]

So amongst other things... many many other things that have half finished....
I decided to utilize the wonderful weather and get outdoor stuff done. Burned a ton of leaves, cleaned out the truck, sucked a bunch of water off the top of the pool cover, aaaand started leveling out the ditch so we don't have a mud puddle for the boys and mosquitoes.
Anyways,i don't have a lot of slope. It has filled the ditch in over the years and then the water cuts a narrow channel through. Any blockage to that channel and i have a 3 foot deep pond at the "top" of the run. All i can seem to manage to do is to dig it out 2-3 times a year and let it partially drain.
Any ideas? Over 300' of ditch with issue. Gotta mow around it and it makes it quite a mess.
I have thoughts of a culvert cut in 1/4 lengthwise and put in the bottom of the ditch or something like that.
Ideas!?

 

[Rick Rousseau]

Drainage tile like the farmers use in the fields to drain low areas? Maybe that black plastic corrugated drain pipe laid down in the bottom and covered over with soil? Just some suggestions.

 

[Speedling]

Drainage tile like the farmers use in the fields to drain low areas? Maybe that black plastic corrugated drain pipe laid down in the bottom and covered over with soil? Just some suggestions.

I would worry about having that long of pipe covered up because it can clog up and then what?
I will have 40 foot for the driveway.
Perhaps something like the picture here?

 

[Bruce]

Do you have access to a small excavator or ditch witch? I would want to dig a trench for a French drain. You open the trench a foot deep then install appropriately sized PVC pipe with holes drilled in the top and side. Plumbing suppliers sell it as an upgrade to the easy to crush black pipe. Cover the pipe with landscape cloth then cover with dirt for a smooth finish. When it rains you will find a full stream of water coming out of the downhill end of the pipe. If you want to do it a little better use crushed rock on top of the landscape fabric before the dirt.

 

[Speedling]

Do you have access to a small excavator or ditch witch? I would want to dig a trench for a French drain. You open the trench a foot deep then install appropriately sized PVC pipe with holes drilled in the top and side. Plumbing suppliers sell it as an upgrade to the easy to crush black pipe. Cover the pipe with landscape cloth then cover with dirt for a smooth finish. When it rains you will find a full stream of water coming out of the downhill end of the pipe. If you want to do it a little better use crushed rock on top of the landscape fabric before the dirt.

While not opposed to the idea, the county highway states if i bury the pipe in that area it must be 12" or larger concrete or galvanized steel pipe. I can certainly give them a call Tuesday when they are open but that is what the paperwork said for my driveway.
Also, i have seen the current 12" culvert pipe (which is rusted through and getting replaced this summer) be overwhelmed several times during my 2 years here so far. So much so that it has to go over my driveway. My ditch almost always has that trickle which is about 6-8" wide but with a good rain it is very full. Like 8-10 feet wide and 2-3 feet deep. I plan on doing a 15" culvert in my driveway with galvanized pipe (it lasted 50 years being undersized and incorrectly pitched) with concrete over the ends and landscaping stone at the openings on either side.

I will be getting a mini-x or hiring the guy that is digging the neighbors foundation in a month or two (yet another project i agreed to).


*edit*
There is a long ways up hill because a couple small streets dump into my ditch.

 

[Speedling]

This is what the ditch openings will look like by driveway. Stone already acquired as excess from a job.

 

[Bruce]

@Speedling, I misunderstood the size of this ditch. I was thinking you might use 4" or 6" holey pipe. It would be very expensive to create such a large and long french drain.

I have a wet weather creek that crosses my property and runs through an 18" culvert under my driveway. I used a 4' front end loader bucket to widen and deepen the creek bed on both sides of the culvert to improve flow. In your case I think I would get that many excavator to dig a clean, straight ditch for the water to flow through. It looks soft so it should not take long.

 

[Speedling]

@Speedling, I misunderstood the size of this ditch. I was thinking you might use 4" or 6" holey pipe. It would be very expensive to create such a large and long french drain.

I have a wet weather creek that crosses my property and runs through an 18" culvert under my driveway. I used a 4' front end loader bucket to widen and deepen the creek bed on both sides of the culvert to improve flow. In your case I think I would get that many excavator to dig a clean, straight ditch for the water to flow through. It looks soft so it should not take long.

Then, however i still need to mow as my yard includes the ditch. Or perhaps i am not thinking it the same way you actually have it.
Picture?
I also thought of something like this made in concrete sections of like 2' long but make it flat bottom so i can shovel it out. This would still allow me to mow it easily as well.

 

[BigN8]

A french drain would work, that's what every golf course uses to funnel water out of low areas and dry the course quicker. You need to lay the french drain in a bed of gravel and cover with gravel then soil though. If you just put it in soil alone it will fill in and be useless. A root barrier is also a good idea.

 

[Bruce]

A friend who is a concrete guy added a concrete through beside my driveway similar to the drawing in your post. They shaped it by hand in an existing ditch. It works well.

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

I would rent a small backhoe, dig the trench deep enough to install several lengths of culvert coupled together with the clamps, then cover it with soil and re-seed your grass over the area, it's the best way long term to get the job done as culvert pipe is pretty reasonable.

I used to do grading work on the side and have installed more culverts than I care to remember.

 

[Big Shasta]

Another vote for french drain...... holy pipe covered in gravel. Done. Just size it appropriately for the amount of water and slope.

 

[Speedling]

I would rent a small backhoe, dig the trench deep enough to install several lengths of culvert coupled together with the clamps, then cover it with soil and re-seed your grass over the area, it's the best way long term to get the job done as culvert pipe is pretty reasonable.

I used to do grading work on the side and have installed more culverts than I care to remember.

And where do you figure my acre of water goes then if it's all covered up?

 

[Speedling]

Another vote for french drain...... holy pipe covered in gravel. Done. Just size it appropriately for the amount of water and slope.

I will have to price it out but that's 120 feet for just the one section. Don't mind spending the money but it is technically the county's 20' wide ditch and the gas line is in the side of that hill as well and county or Nipsco can tear it up anytime they want.

 

[AZDANSX230HO]

And where do you figure my acre of water goes then if it's all covered up?

I would need to see the entire section, if water is flowing across your property and you divert it into a culvert to it's destination under your property and then out to where it can flow again - it should go where it needs to be. I have 40 Ft of culvert in my driveway so it's plenty wide (originally 20 Ft, added another 20 Ft after our house was built) and rain water washes through it from the natural culvert on my side of the road.

 

[Speedling]

I would need to see the entire section, if water is flowing across your property and you divert it into a culvert to it's destination under your property and then out to where it can flow again - it should go where it needs to be. I have 40 Ft of culvert in my driveway so it's plenty wide (originally 20 Ft, added another 20 Ft after our house was built) and rain water washes through it from the natural culvert on my side of the road.


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LOL it looks like you get rain once a year there!
I will have 40 foot of driveway culvert.
I have about 1 foot of slope over a 150x250' yard.
My ditch only has about 18" drop over the 150' section. This means any dirt blockages make for a pond quickly.
We get a LOT of rain. 40 inches average yearly vs your 14 average in AZ. We also get snow (although not much this year...) that accumulates all winter and then will thaw out in spring causing serious water issues then too, especially with more rain at the same time! That usually means the ground is still frozen and water will not go down into the ground at all.
My ditch has NEVER been dry.
I know everyone is closed Monday but I plan on calling Tuesday or Wednesday the highway guys. Usually better answers if I just go there as they seem a lot cooler than most of the permit people I have dealt with over the years. They may even have better suggestions as well.

 

[Big Shasta]

I will have to price it out but that's 120 feet for just the one section. Don't mind spending the money but it is technically the county's 20' wide ditch and the gas line is in the side of that hill as well and county or Nipsco can tear it up anytime they want.

Oh well then if it's county property, I'd call them and ask for a drain....then I'd call back next week and ask again...then next week.....then.......

 

[Speedling]

Oh well then if it's county property, I'd call them and ask for a drain....then I'd call back next week and ask again...then next week.....then.......

You got that about right!

 

[Bruce]

Lee, is it on county property or in a county right of way in your property?

Either way, one concern would be that the county could destroy whatever improvements you make when they decide to do something different in the future.

In my area the county focuses on sending a backhoe and dump truck around to improve ditches once a year. I know you would likely have to be patient but contacting them might be a no cost option to you.

 

[Speedling]

Well, i know that the 20' wide by 400' total is not considered mine on the survey. As it stands i have .86 acres as stated as mine but if you include the ditch i have almost exactly and acre.

I can ask county to dig. When i did that 2 years ago they kinda chuckled and said it would be a few years as they only do it when they literally ha e NOTHING else to do. I even have county ties and they basically said the same thing.
This week is filling up but hopefully i can get something done that doesn't look horrid because i still gotta love with it! I just want to get rid of the standing water in the ditch and get rid of the mosquitoes.