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Drainage Channel Restoration Construction Project

Andy Ward and Larry Brown
Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering,
The Ohio State University,
590 Woody Hayes Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43210, U.S.A.
Email: ward.2@osu.edu & brown.59@osu.edu

Dan Mecklenburg
Division of Soil & Water Conservation
Ohio Department of Natural Resources,
4383 Fountain Square Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43224, U.S.A.
Email: dan.mecklenburg@dnr.state.oh.us

Robert McCall
OSU Extension - Northwest District, Findlay
Watershed Management Agent
E-mail: mccall.57@osu.edu

Reconstructed benches after reseeding.

Overview:

Drainage ditches in much of NW Ohio have been straightened or otherwise modified to increase water removal from agricultural land for increased crop management capacity, production and decreased flooding. However, ditch modifications have created a negative impact on habitat and are a leading cause of aquatic life use impairments. In addition, ditch maintenance costs are high and their improved water removal benefits are often only temporary.

The ditch at Station 69+00 looking upstream before the start of the project.

Dramatic advancements have been made in understanding how natural streams work. The science of fluvial geomorphology is leading a revolution in river engineering and stream restoration. Stream management efforts now focus more clearly on the restoration of ecological integrity and using natural stream characteristics to manage for channel stability and flood control. One application of fluvial geomorphology that remains relatively unexplored is the management of low gradient, artificially drained streams (ditches) on agricultural landscapes. The overall goal of this project is to evaluate and demonstrate an alternative drainage channel form that incorporates naturalized fluvial features to enhance stream integrity and maintain or improve drainage capacity. The objective of this poster is to show progress on the development of an alternative drainage channel restoration construction project.

The purpose of this project is to increase our understanding of how we may address multiple environmental objectives while meeting drainage needs by restoration and monitoring of drainage channels in an agricultural watershed in Northern Ohio. Specifically, we believe that retaining and incorporating vegetated benches, and small main channels that are created by natural fluvial (flow) processes, will result in lower nutrient and sediment discharges and will reduce maintenance costs.

Site Location:

The study area is located in Northwest Ohio (Fig.1) in the upper reaches of the Portage River Basin (Fig.2).

Figure 1: The Portage River Basin is located in Northwest Ohio.	Figure 2: Representation of the study area within the Upper Portage River Basin.

A ditch reconstruction project is located in the Bull Creek Sub-watershed (Fig. 3) on the Mary E. Smith Farm on Fast Road, just off of S.R. 18 and east of Bairdstown, Ohio.

Figure 3: Subwatersheds of the Upper Portage River Basin.

Project Description:

Rosengarten Construction, Inc. was employed for the work of reconstructing Joint County Ditch number 2458, petitioned by Mary E. Smith in Wood County, Ohio. The overseer of construction was conducted by D.J. Mears, Office of Wood County Engineer.

The new design method was developed by Dan Mecklenburg, ecological engineer, ODNR-DSW and Andy Ward, professor, The Ohio State University, Food Agriculture and Biological Engineering department. The method used: (1) knowledge of bench and channel features in the ditch; (2) drainage area (watershed) size information; and (3) equations based on a study of ditches in the upper reaches of the Portage River Basin. (See Design Method for supporting graphs.)

The Wood County Engineer staff developed the project design by applying the new design method. Figure 1 shows typical cross sections of sites along Fast Road Ditch. Thirty cross-sectional stations were surveyed (Fig.2) along the waterway and recorded to determine final engineering design of the reconstructed ditch.

Figure 1: Typical Cross Sections

Figure 2: Aerial photo depicting project locations and cross-sectional sites along the ditch.

Construction Details:

Project construction began on May 6, 2002 and ended on June 6, 2002 with several days of downtime due to wet weather. Bench formation and earth removal took approximately six days: 3 days for 6,000 linear feet of benches and 2.5 days to dip 4,400 linear feet of earth. Bench work progressed by approximately 1,475 feet per day, more than double the expected daily amount. Outlet installation was completed in 2 days and rock removal in 2 days.

Cross-section of Station 69.

Photos depict sequential stages of development of station 69 of the project.

Top right: AFTER - Station 69+00 looking downstream. Top left: DURING - Station 69+00 looking downstream.	BEFORE - Station 69+00 looking downstream.

Construction Costs

Top right: A backhoe is used to form the slope of the ditch channel. Top left: Reconstructed benches after reseeding.	A pipe is used to show where the bench meets the slope (toe).

TO THE AUDITOR OF WOOD COUNTY, OHIO:

DATE: July 29, 2002

FINAL ESTIMATE                               P.O. - 37014

This is to certify that Rosengarten Construction, Inc. Contractor for the work of Constructing Joint County ditch number 2458, petitioned by Mary E. Smith in Wood County, Ohio has completed in accordance with specifications the following work:

Design Method and Future Work:

The flow of water in a ditch naturally creates a small main channel and low benches that are quickly covered in vegetation. These benches help to stabilize the sides of the ditch and will reform if removed by maintenance.

A Two Stage Design Method for ditches is being developed by Dan Mecklenburg, ODNR-DSWC and Andy Ward, The Ohio State University, Food Agriculture and Biological Engineering. The cross-sectional area of the small main channel can be estimated based on the drainage area to the ditch.

The width and depth of the small main channel can also be estimated from the drainage area. These procedures are based on data obtained in the Portage River Watershed. A study of other watersheds in Ohio will be conducted in the next two years. As part of a project that will be funded by the USDA and EPA ditches in Minnesota and Illinois will also be studied.

Not all existing ditches have stable benches. Relatively narrow ditches tend to form unstable benches. However, other factors such as the amount of maintenance, the depth of the ditch, bed material, and the depth to bed rock also influence ditch stability.

Conclusion

A two-stage design has been constructed by the Wood County Engineer staff by applying design methods established by Dan Mecklenburg and Andy Ward. Construction has been completed and plans have been initiated to evaluate the performance of the design. As part of a new study the water quality benefits of low benches in ditches will be studied. It is anticipated that nitrate exports to the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico might be reduced by retaining or establishing two-stage features in ditches, as well as reducing the long-term cost of ditch maintenance to assessed land owners.

Acknowledgements:
The authors of this poster would like to express appreciation to the Great Lakes Protection Fund for funding this project, D.J. Mears of the Wood County Engineer’s Office for overseeing construction and providing countless photos and various other information, Cheryl Engle from OSU Extension, NW District for her time and talents in design of the original research poster and Matt Sullivan from The Ohio State University, Dept. of Food, Agricultural, & Biological Engineering for his expertise in printing the poster.