Minimum fall on an open ditch

Joe Boy

Member
Location
Essex
I have a ditch that needs digging out that has a fall of just 1.4m between the outfall of a land rain and the culvert the water has to through which is 130 M away.

So I think this is a fall of just over 1%

Is this enough to get it to flow ok?
 
I'm only a novice on a digger, but was asked to go and finish a job where someone had installed a Klargester treatment thing behind a barn conversion, then buggered off and left it until heavy rain had made all the ground collapse. I'm not sure why, but the bloke had nearly buried the thing so that there was one foot of fall between the outlet and the ditch about 60-70 metres away.
I told the customer ( long standing for many years) that I would take a lash at it, but was going a bit blind. He said no worries and we start having a tickle with the digger. I dug the pipe channel out and we were about to lay it when I had a light bulb moment. I put a hose running at the Klargester end. Within half an hour we had water trickling along the channel. I had to scrape a bit out here and there. Beginners luck I think.
Anyway, I had a look when I spread lime in the next field last September, job's a good'un.
 

Mouser

Member
Location
near Belfast
Just dig back from bottom end level as far as you can until it's gettin too deep then put a better fall on the rest to stop the bit near the land drain silting up.
 

Dry Rot

Member
Livestock Farmer
Start at the bottom with a little water in the ditch and carefully remove silt so the water "follows the bucket". The water is in effect showing the level as it creeps back up the ditch. This is on level ground with virtually no fall.

I have some of this on video some where as a lot doing this work for the first time just don't get it. I had to explain this to the digger driver who did the last job for me and once he understood the idea, he got on really well. It has really dried out ground that used to flood.

I'll try and find that video footage.
 

Joe Boy

Member
Location
Essex
Start at the bottom with a little water in the ditch and carefully remove silt so the water "follows the bucket". The water is in effect showing the level as it creeps back up the ditch. This is on level ground with virtually no fall.

I have some of this on video some where as a lot doing this work for the first time just don't get it. I had to explain this to the digger driver who did the last job for me and once he understood the idea, he got on really well. It has really dried out ground that used to flood.

I'll try and find that video footage.


I think this is what I have been doing but I was worried that the water has the energy to flow up hill a little as I'm taking over a foot of silt out of the ditch. So it's has 1 foot of head behind the water which pushes it down the ditch initially. But if I dig for a bit and look back I get standing water in the ditch.

I brought a laser level this afternoon so I should have a better idea of were I'm going now.

The video sounds interesting.
 

Joe Boy

Member
Location
Essex
Hand dug by French prisoners of war here. Fall was the thickness of a sixpence per chain, so they tell me.

1.4 m is like Niagra Falls.

Yes but I wonder how long they worked for. I keep finding the little ones but never seen one running yet. I even made a extra small screw so I could rod those old ones but still they won't run.

The drains on this ditch were installed in 1975. The field on the right is now riddled with black grass and I recon the drains could not have run for twenty years by the amount of silt over them.

When I uncover these one they look like they are brand new.

ImageUploadedByThe Farming Forum1454571915.930675.jpg
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
Yes but I wonder how long they worked for. I keep finding the little ones but never seen one running yet. I even made a extra small screw so I could rod those old ones but still they won't run.

The drains on this ditch were installed in 1975. The field on the right is now riddled with black grass and I recon the drains could not have run for twenty years by the amount of silt over them.

When I uncover these one they look like they are brand new.

View attachment 275388
Avery satisfying job
 

czechmate

Member
Mixed Farmer
I think this is what I have been doing but I was worried that the water has the energy to flow up hill a little as I'm taking over a foot of silt out of the ditch. So it's has 1 foot of head behind the water which pushes it down the ditch initially. But if I dig for a bit and look back I get standing water in the ditch.

I brought a laser level this afternoon so I should have a better idea of were I'm going now.

The video sounds interesting.


Can you tell me how to make that work(y)
 

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