The Brew Cabin

Posted: **Mon Jan 19, 2009 7:59 pm**

I have a problem with large quantities of water running down the farm track leading to my house turning it into a small river during medum to heavy rainfall.

There is an open ditch running next to the lane and I would like to divert this water into the ditch.

To give you some idea of scale, the lane is about 2.5m wide by about 200m and at its worse the water is fast flowing and about 8" deep.

Before spending time and money repairing the lane which is now badly rutted (especially a 30m stretch which mainly clay) I would like to stop the bulk of the water running down the lane.

I am considering putting a linear drain across the lane but am not convinced that it would handle the volume of water involved.

Also I still need to be able to drive across whatever is used to divert the water.

I would appreciate any advice.

Posted: **Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:55 pm**

may be a little off the wall, but use a cattle grid as a wide drain to divert the water???...

Posted: **Mon Jan 19, 2009 8:57 pm**

A mate of mine had similar prob locally - ended up digging sodding great ditch across the track, and then placing cattle-grid over it. He even put in a tube so the hedgehogs could cross !!

Posted: **Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:01 pm**

The normal solution would be wooden linear channels approx approx 8" deep by 6" wide laid at 30 deg to the road and spaced every 15 to 20m. Clear the stones out every ew months and you shouldn't have any dramas. If the water is still clearing them then compact a berm of stone on the far side of the channel to help with directing the water or get a grant for a new tractor and wade through it.

Posted: **Mon Jan 19, 2009 9:17 pm**

we have the same problem on our lane, 2 ditches on sides of lane but water runs out of farm yards and down the lane and washes lane away.

we have dished channel drains at an angle running into the ditched plus old kerbs set about 50mm up from the lane to divert the water with a concrete channel made on the up hill side of it running down into the ditch.

your looking at about Â£2500 for a 40 ton cattle grid installed, did a few last year.

photos hopefully working?

backed up with stone till we got some bitmac going spare.

Posted: **Sat Feb 07, 2009 4:28 pm**

Thanks for the suggestions. Still undecided on which course to take so have bought another old 4X4 in the meantime.

The Brew Cabin

Diverting a small river!