Let’s talk a bit more about the work done on the Willard Gun Club property!

The ditch that was re-dug on Sunday hasn’t been dug out for probably 40 years.  It was a depression in the surrounding ground, but was grown in with natural grasses so thick that it had a very rough time carrying water to where it was intended to go.  In fact, the water would travel down the depression, but would spread out on both sides and made it impossible for the land owners to do anything with their lands when there was water in the ditch at all.  That is why they turned the water out and away from their place.  They wanted to get some work done and needed it dry.

So, now with the ditch cleaned, it will carry the water to where our club needs it and not bother the adjacent land owners at all.

I made the trip down to the place yesterday afternoon to see where the water was and this is what I found.

At the head of the ditch is the diversion culvert that we closed yesterday in order to get the sewer water coming our direction

The water is really pouring out nicely!  A full stream I might add.

As I proceeded to walk down the ditch, the top of the ditch contained quite a bit of water and it was flowing pretty good, but I don’t think it had all the water flowing in it that I saw coming out at the culvert.

Not a bad flow, but not the full amount yet.

Well, still curious about where the water might be down the ditch, I proceeded to go down looking.  I fully expect to see it about half way down and soaking into the ground.  Remember the water table is about six feet down and it takes a lot of water to soak up the ground before it travels forward, especially in a slightly sloping ditch like this one.

I was pleasantly surprised at the mid point of the ditch to find water.  Not a full stream, but water none the less.  I continued to walk the ditch.  Looking farther to the West and through a patch of nasty phragmities, the water was backing up some.

It looks like the ditch is the perfect depth to keep all the water contained once it has the full flow.  For now, it is going down the ditch, but is it at the end?  I continued walking down the ditch, when suddenly, my shoes were getting wet.  At the end, the water was flowing out and onto our club!  YEAAAA!

In this picture it doesn’t look like all the flow is going to the left, but it is.  The bank on the right side is about 8 inches higher than that on the left side.  Besides we have a pretty deep ditch cut going South.  Perfect to carry the water where we want it!  As I am writing this I can only imagine we have a full ditch flowing onto the club right now and it should be forming the ponds around the boxes just like the plan has it.  Give it two to three weeks and we should be into the ducks big time!  Get your duck stamps boys and don’t forget your HIP number!

Bears Butt

October 14, 2014