Em4885 irrigation management practices to protect ground water

IP 1.00.05 - Maintain Ditches and Pipelines to Prevent Leaks
Objective
Maintain effectiveness of the ditch or pipeline to transport water without losses due to
leaks or seepage.
9
CHAPTER 4
Description
Any lining material for ditches and reservoirs is subject to cracking or splitting due to
freezing/thawing or “heaving” soils. Liners can also be breached by cleaning operations
such as dredging to remove excess silt or aquatic vegetation. Depending on soil conditions
under the lining, cracks can be a significant loss of water.
Pipeline maintenance should be minimal if the pipeline was designed and installed correctly.
It is very important that sufficient thrust blocks, air vents, pressure reliefs, and vacuum reliefs be
installed. Although construction may be done by the individual grower, a competent engineer should
be retained to ensure a safe and reliable design.
One problem that can occur in pipelines or ditches is excessive siltation. This is a situation where
water with a high sediment load is transported in the pipeline or ditch at low velocities. The low
velocity allows the sediment to settle out of the water and eventually reduce the carrying capacity of
the conduit. Siltation occurs many times in ditches in front of overflow control structures. Proper
design and operation should minimize this problem.