Wisconsin State Drainage Association



New adjustments must be made and the wound must have time
to heal.  Some material is bound to cave in off the bank
until the surrounding surface has completely settled. It may
take 2 or 3 years, during which time some attention should be
given to prevent congestion and allow the current to have full
sway in keeping the bottom of the ditch clean. Various means
of assistance are used, such as the pulling of a drag of some
kind through the center of the ditch occasionally. A motor
boat is generally very effective if used at the right time. Some
use hand shovels, but it is a simple problem if it is only given
proper attention and looked after until the banks have formed
their natural slope and the bottom of the ditch has taken on
its required width. Just a little systematic attention to a newly
cut ditch will work wonders and the cost amounts to practically
nothing.
  Just one other suggestion along the line of ditch maintenance.
If your ditch is filling up be sure to locate where the real point
of trouble is. The cause is generally at some other place than
that where the trouble appears. Watch for the shallow places
where the current is rapid and the ditch is perfectly clean.
Deepen these places if possible and if the benefits are not imme-
diately noticeable at the points of trouble perhaps they will be
after the next rain. The point that I wish to make clear is, that
a perfect system of drainage ditches takes time to perfect and if
a drainage district thoroughly understands this in the begin-
ning and makes its plans accordingly it will get the best re-
sults at the least cost and usually in the shortest time.
. You understand that my subject 'has to do with dredging and
so the comments or suggestions which I have made are intended
to apply especially to the initial drainage work where the dredge
is usually employed, embracing the main outlet and lateral
ditches required in the reclamation of raw marshes and large
tracts of land which have had but little, if any prior drainage.
Small surface ditching, clean-out work and ditching where con-
ditions will permit the use of the large type of dry land ma-
chine involves a different field and presents an entirely different
proposition from that which I have attempted to cover in this
discussion.



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