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daileyml
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Reged: 06/11/07
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Posts: 4
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Drainage Problem -- Could Use Your Advise
01/14/08 12:19 PM
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I have a drainage problem on my property that I'd like some opinions on. I've already contacted my county extension office, waiting for a call back.
The back acre of my two-acre property has a very high water table (6-18 inches) under times of heavy precipitation. I want to plant a large garden and grape vineyard here, but need to reduce the water table first with drianage.
Here is the problem... the land is nearly flat, with a slight slope, and I already have a pond on the property. The pond level is high because of the high water table. I can't trench in subsurface drainage because there is no where to run it to (the pond stays full nearly year round).
What is typically done in this type of scenario (which isn't unusual, I don't think) to lower the water table enough to allow for good root zone growth for crops? I thought of digging a smaller retaining pond on my property to run drainage lines to, but wouldn't the water table simply fill this, too?
What am I missing, folks? Can someone point me in the right direction?
Thanks,
Mike
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jml755
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Reged: 01/22/07
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Posts: 213
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Loc: Southeastern Michigan
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Re: Drainage Problem -- Could Use Your Advise
[re: daileyml]
01/14/08 12:40 PM
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If you can't put in sub-surface drains "because there is no where to run it to ", you may have to effectively lower the water table by raising the soil. An acre would be a LOT to try and raise even 1 foot, but you don't say how LARGE a garden you are planning. I imagine you could mound the soil for the vines so you'd have irrigation ditches running alongside which are at your current grade level. Again, the size of your intended vineyard would dictate the feasibility of this.
As for keeping water out of where it wants to go, New Orleans is a good example of how difficult that is.
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daileyml
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Re: Drainage Problem -- Could Use Your Advice
[re: jml755]
01/14/08 01:50 PM
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The vineyard/garden area will be about 80' x 120' when complete, but we have the same issue with the grass area (our back lawn). I know I can help the situation with raised beds, but wasn't sure if I was missing anything regarding the drain tile.
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CJDave
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Re: Drainage Problem -- Could Use Your Advise
[re: daileyml]
01/15/08 03:02 AM
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 I have a background in reclamation and drainage work, and what usually is done in cases like yours is one of two things: (1) install a herringbone pattern of deep drainage lines and collect them into a sump that drains to a waterway that is downhill, OR... do that and install a drainage pump in that sump and PUMP the water to a waterway that ISN'T downhill. Needless to say, a drain pump is a lifelong committment, and a herringbone pattern underground drainage system is like buying the place over again. Thousands upon thousands of farmed acres in the US and abroad have underground drainage. In some areas, in order to water the crops, the growers SHUT OFF the drain pumps for a short period of time and let the water sub up to the root zone. 
CJDave
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Pat
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Re: Drainage Problem -- Could Use Your Advise
[re: CJDave]
01/20/08 11:13 AM
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The short version (with apologies to Dave) is sometimes there is no economically feasible way to use a particular piece of land for a given purpose.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
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