How to Maintain Your Private Ditch

Ditch Maintenance for Private Ditches

In the spring the landowner should burn the grass and trash in their ditch. This will allow them to see any problems with the banks or bottom. It will also let the water flow unhindered by the dead grass. It should stop some of the problems of plugging of structures.

The next thing the user should do is make sure that their parshall flume is in working order. This is done by first making sure that the parshall is level. This means you should make sure that the entrance bottom of the parshall is level down the centerline and side to side. Make sure that there are no holes under or along the sides so that all the water goes through the parshall. The water should pond slightly in front of the parshall so that the correct velocity is achieved in the parshall. If the water runs too fast through the parshall, you will receive less water than you deserve.

The next thing is to clean the ditch. The farmer would normally use a V Ditcher behind a tractor. A ditch shaped like a trapezoid is the best shape. If a V Ditcher is not available, a small track hoe or backhoe is your next best option. This will cut more of a square ditch, but this will work also.

Your ditch should be cleaned on both sides as well as the bottom. A qualified operator should be able to determine if more material should be taken from one or the other. Taking more material out of the ditch is to be avoided, as this will make future ditch cleans harder.