Go Bottomimpliment of choice for creating ditch swale
 | brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1288 Wisconsin 
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2004-03-23 80859
I did not buy a back hoe and one of the first projects I will need to complete will be a small ditch/swale for water runnoff. I have around 600 feet of gravel drive and at the end it turns and goes up hill for around 150'. At the bottom of this incline I have a small (10' deep) retaining pond. I need to direct some water, from 3 directions. Will also need to put in 2 maybe 3 culverts to join all them together for the final run to the pond. Right now the water runs down the driveway washing alot of the sand in the pit run to the bottom. My driveway is right up to the edge of the woods and I have a few real nice Oaks within a couple feet of its edge and I dont want to remove these trees.
I need to create a swale roughly 12" to 16" deep maybe 3 feet wide. What impliment would you want to use for a job like this. Right now I have a back blade, fel, box scraper
Anything (besides a back hoe) that should be considered that I dont have.
Thanks
Tom
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Add Photoimpliment of choice for creating ditch swale
 | BillMullens
Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 649 Central West Virginia 
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2004-03-23 80860
I just completed a drive-through ditch about like you're talking about with a box blade. I put the rippers down and worked perpendicular to the ditch. After ripping for a few passes, I'd retract the rippers and scoop the loose material out of the way with the box blade. Turned out nice.
Good luck,
Bill ....
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Add Photoimpliment of choice for creating ditch swale
 | beagle
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1333 Michigan
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2004-03-23 80874
Rear blade with tilt will do a decent job. Sounds like your soil is sandy gravel which would be perfect soil to cut with a tilted grader blade. Added drainage to a couple of 200 ft drives at the vacation home that way, worked great. If you have hydraulic tilt ( I don't ), would make the work even easier. Would allow you to contour the swale just the way you want it. Have fun. ....
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Add Photoimpliment of choice for creating ditch swale
| brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2004-03-23 80889
Actually I have clay and rocks for soil, the sandy pit run was imported, LOL. That is half my problem, the soil is really tough to work with. The box blade: Hmmm if I understand you right, you drop it with the rippers down and pull maybe 3 feet or so, then lift and go back and do it again. Turn around scoop it out (do this till I get the depth I want and then move over 5 foot to start again. and walk this down the edge of the drive 5 foot at a time? Is this what you mean by perpendicular to the drive
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I did the best I could, the drive goes east/west and then turns 90 degrees. The ditch will be on the east side and run down to the pond (on the left) So do I dig in with the rippers in 5 ft increments pulling out to the drive (and so on) then scoop out and keep doing this till I get to my pond? Or am I way off base? LOL.. Anyone think the blade will do the job in clay/rocky soil?
That would be easier but maybe not get as deep as I need? I am still open for ideas?
Thanks again
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Add Photoimpliment of choice for creating ditch swale
| TomG
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 5406 Upper Ottawa Valley 
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2004-03-24 80922
I'd likely try it with my box scraper because that's what I have. Unlike Bill I drive along the ditch with heavy tilt and an outside scarifier extended. It doesn't work great and a blade would be better. A offset blade that is tilted and angled forward should cut it but good front traction is needed.
My scraper is 1' wider than the rear tire tracks so I have some offset and I'm cutting pit run or sandy soil. Even so I don't know if I could get 12" x 3' ditches without doing it like Bill did. For something that wide I'd have to cut on both sides of the swale and my drive goes through a cut so I can't drive where I'd need to--that might be a problem for a blade as well. The ditches I cut are more like 6" x 1", which really is just the corner of the scraper. ....
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Add Photoimpliment of choice for creating ditch swale
| BillMullens
Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 649 Central West Virginia
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2004-03-24 81043
There may be better ways...
In my case I was making a drive-through in a ditch that I had dug with my backhoe. It was about 2' deep, with vertical sides. For sake of example, if the ditch was running east-west, I would have the tractor facing south; back up until the box blade was in the center of the ditch; lower the box and rip/drag travelling south. Then move over and repeat. For me, the drive-through area only has to be about 10' wide or less. If the swale is very long, it would take a while, as you'll be working in 5' (or however wide your box is) increments. But still, it would work. Of course, you'll also have to finish by dragging the material out of the way or whatever. I also (following same example) did the same thing to the north bank as I had done to the south. I ended up with a gentle slope of about 2' deep and 6-8' long; making the total ditch about 12-16'wide at that area. Plenty gentle enough to drive the tractor through.
Angling a blade or box blade and driving parallel to the ditch just wouldn't work in my case. I have cut roadside ditches that way before with a scraper blade, but I didn't much like the results.
Good luck,
Bill ....
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Add Photoimpliment of choice for creating ditch swale
| brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004 Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2004-03-25 81129
Thanks guys
I thought I understood you Bill, and I did (great explanation) This week I am planning on buying a box blade and a disk More than likely a rake also LOL. Thanks alot again ....
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Add Photoimpliment of choice for creating ditch swale
 | oneace
Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 1490 south central pa
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2004-03-25 81137
ever comcider renting somting like a terimite if you get it on a satuday you normaly get it for the weekend for the coast of a day roughly $160 or less ....
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