Drainage Channel Restoration Drainage Channel Restoration Construction ProjectConstruction Project

Wood Co. Engineer’s Office

Great Lakes

Protection Fund

A.D. Ward, D. Mecklenburg , R. McCall, D.J. MearsV. Bouchard, P. Richards, B. Sohngen, and L.C. Brown

Drainage Intensity, North Central Region, USA

Typical Two-Stage Ditch

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

-20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20

Ditch Width Left to Right (ft)

Ele

vatio

n (f

t)

bench

small main channel

Two-Stage Design Method for ditches being developed by Ward and Mecklenburg

Cross Sectional Area Small Main Channel

y = 6.25x0.64

R2 = 0.60

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Drainage Area (square miles)

Cro

ss

Se

cti

on

al A

rea

(ft

2 )

Width and depth of small main channel can be estimated from drainage area (this case based on data obtained in Ohio’s Portage River Watershed by Ward, Mecklenburg, others)

Width and Depth of Small Main Channel

y = 6.8x0.3303

R2 = 0.56

y = 0.91x0.3124

R2 = 0.60

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Drainage Area (square miles)

Dim

en

sio

ns

(ft

)

width

meandepth

Factors such as amount of maintenance, depth of ditch, bed material, depth to bed rock, and other factors influence ditch

stability (data obtained by Ward, Mecklenburg, others)

Ditch Width and Stability

y = 12.9x0.2718

R2 = 0.93

y = 15.8x0.24

R2 = 0.90

0

10

20

30

40

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Drainage Area (square miles)

Dit

ch W

idth

(ft

)

stable

unstable

Portage River Basin in

Northwest Ohio(study area)

Sub-watersheds of Upper Portage River Basin

sites3.jpg

Aerial photo showing project location (Mary E. Smith farm) and cross-sections along Fast Road ditch in Wood County, Ohio.

Ohio County Ditch Law

• Chapters 6131, 6133, 6135, 6137 of the Ohio Revised Code

• Chapter 6133 specifically addresses Joint County Ditches

• ORC provides for review, feasibility, design, construction, assessments, and maintenance

Typical Design/Proposed Cross Sections

Original elevations within ditch

Excavated spoils

redred New elevations within ditch

yellow yellow New cross-sectional elevation (2-stage design)

Cross-section of Station 69+00

Sequential development at station 69+00 May 2002Before construction looking upstream

Before construction looking downstream

After construction looking upstream After construction looking downstream

Excavator forming slope of bank of new ditch channel

White pipe shows where bench meets toe of bank slope

.

Reconstructed Benches

Existing Vegetation After Reseeding

Estimated Project Costs SummaryMary E. Smith, Joint County Ditch Improvement

Project No. 2458

• Process, engineering costs

• Advertisement, mailings, materials, construction staking, inspection, engineering design, contingencies, and initial maintenance fund

• $24,865

• Construction costs• Excavation, tree and

debris removal, rock work, subsurface drain outlet replacement and splash apron, seeding, fertilizer, etc.

• $13, 606

Project Summary

• Total project cost = $38,471• % Process and Engineering = 65%• % Construction = 35%• Acres benefiting = 2323 ac• Appraised benefits = $299,473• B/C = 7.78• For ORC Ditch Petition Projects, benefits

must exceed costs

Design Method and Future WorkDesign Method and Future Work

• Study of other Ohio watersheds being conducted (engineering, hydrology, ecology, economics, etc.)

• Design process being refined by Ward and Mecklenburg, others

• Other demonstration sites being developed• New, multi-state project funded by USDA and

EPA initiated in 2003 (Ohio, Minnesota and Illinois)

Project Collaboration / Sponsored Funding

• The Ohio State University: Departments of Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering; School of Natural Resources; and Agricultural, Environmental and Developmental Economics

• Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Soil and Water Conservation

• Heidelberg College, Water Quality Laboratory• University of Findlay• Wood County Engineer’s Office• Ohio State University Extension, Ohio Agricultural

Research and Development Center, Soil and Water Conservation Districts

• Great Lakes Protection Fund