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Martinsville, Ohio | I have got washes in one of mine that a small square bale of straw will fit into nicely so I tried that first. Really slowed the water down, stopped most of the washing, created a few little diversions to deal with but not bad. Amazing what straw will soak up.
This one is a Y waterway with the drainage leg going to the right of bottom of the Y to the highway ditch and tile to the tributary a thousand or so feet away. Got blowouts in my tile going to the road tile and the road tile is really blown out. Hope no one runs off the road there, I can barely straddle it and mow. I keep it tall of course. This system has lacked attention for many years.
This Y drains most of 50 acres. I would really like to fill the gulleys in the center of the waterway and reseed as I have really slowed the waterflow with notill. In two years I see a big improvement in infiltration of water into the soil, last time tilled was probably in the 80's or 90's, need to ask the previous owner again when gets reminiscing about the place.
My challenge will be getting my tile water to the state's and both repaired. Been laying the ground work for two years. Optic cable on ditch big challenge, too. Going to carefully hand dig that sucker out when we do it.
Your question is a good one and I have been mulling over these options for two years. Drought last year made me kinda forget about it, but it is soaked and swollen now after 9 inches in two weeks and reminds you that you have to get this done.
I thought about filling the gulley's with larger stone but the labor and stone bill is too big. Slowing nature down with the straw bales has been the biggest help. Getting a deep rooted perennial in there a farmer can tolerate is a big help. | |
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waterway question
