Drainage of swamps. Wetland drainage Wetland drainage methods

On July 10, 1976, a terrible catastrophe occurred in the small Italian town of Seveso. As a result of the accident at a local chemical plant for the production of trichlorophenol, a huge toxic cloud containing more than 2 kg burst into the air. dioxins - one of the most toxic substances on earth. (Such a quantity of dioxins can kill more than 100 thousand people). The cause of the accident was a malfunction in the production process, the pressure and temperature rose sharply in the reactor, the valve that prevented explosion exploded, and a deadly gas leak occurred. The leak lasted two to three minutes, the resulting white cloud began to spread to the southeast with the wind and spread over the city. Then it began to sink and cover the ground with fog. The smallest particles of chemicals fell from the sky like snow, and the air was filled with a pungent chlorine-like odor. Thousands of people were seized with coughing attacks, nausea, severe pain in the eyes and a headache. The plant management considered that there was only a small release of trichlorophenol, which is a million times less toxic than dioxins (no one expected that they could be contained there).
  The plant managers did not provide a detailed report of the incident until July 12. Meanwhile, all this time, unsuspecting people continued to eat vegetables and fruits, as it turned out later, from the area contaminated with dioxins.

The tragic consequences of what happened fully began to manifest themselves on July 14. Hundreds of people who were seriously poisoned ended up in hospitals. The skin of the victims was covered with eczema, scars and burns, they suffered from vomiting and severe headache. In pregnant women, an extremely high percentage of miscarriages was observed. And doctors, relying on company information, treated patients for poisoning with trichlorophenol, which is a million times less toxic than dioxins. The mass death of animals has begun. They received lethal doses of poison much faster than humans, because they drank rain water and ate grass, which contained large doses of dioxins. On the same day, a meeting of mayors of the cities of Seveso and nearby Meda was held, at which a plan of priority actions was adopted. The next day, it was decided to burn all the trees, as well as the harvest of fruits and vegetables harvested in the contaminated area.

Only 5 days later, a chemical laboratory in Switzerland found that as a result of the leak, a large amount of dioxins were released into the atmosphere. All local doctors were notified about the pollution of the area with dioxins; a ban was placed on the use of food from a contaminated region.
  July 24 began the evacuation of residents from the most polluted areas. This area was fenced with barbed wire, and police cordons were placed around it. After that, people entered in protective overalls to destroy the remaining animals and plants. All the vegetation in the most polluted area was burned out, in addition to 25 thousand dead animals, another 60 thousand were killed. In these areas, a healthy human existence is still impossible.

Scientists at the University of Milan conducted a study to study the frequency of cancers in the population of the settlements nearby the city of Seveso.
  Over 36 thousand people came under observation and they found a significantly higher than normal rate of cancer. From 1976 to 1986, about 500 people died of cancer in the disaster area. In 1977, 39 cases of congenital malformations were recorded there, which is much more than before the disaster.

The largest Hungarian industrial and environmental disaster that occurred on October 4, 2010 at an aluminum-producing plant (Ajkai Timfoldgyar Zrt) near the city of Aika (150 km to Budapest). An explosion occurred at the plant, destroying the platform that held back the toxic waste container. As a result, 1,100,000 cubic meters of highly alkaline red mud was leaked. It turned out to be flooded areas of yours, Veszprem and Gyor-Moson-Sopron. It is known about 10 victims of the accident (another is considered missing), in total, more than 140 people received chemical burns and injuries due to the accident. Most of the local flora and fauna perished. Poisonous waste has entered many local rivers, significantly affecting their ecosystems.

Timeline of events:

October 4 at 12.25 - destruction of the dam. Leakage of 1.1 million cubic meters of pesticide - red mud.

October 7 - the alkali content in the Danube has been exceeded (according to the Hungarian Water Control Service). This threatens the entire Danube ecosystem.

October 9 - the beginning of the evacuation of the population of the affected city of Kolontar due to the existing threat of re-spillage of sludge.

October 12 - decision on the nationalization of the company owning the plant. All victims will receive compensation. According to monitoring data, the amount of toxic substances in the soil is decreasing, although their level remains at a dangerous level.

Perhaps the most important environmental problem of the Nile River is the overpopulation of countries located on the river. The life of the population of these countries depends entirely on the Nile. Every year the needs of people are growing. The river provides the people with water and electric resources. Many wars, in the old days, were fought over oil, in the modern world, they can be fought over water. It is the Nile, the great river of the world, which has let the history of mankind through its streams, be in the midst of conflict.

Fresh running water has always nourished life on our planet, but now its value is higher than ever. Over the next 20 years, it is estimated that the amount of water available to each person will be reduced by three. It's about Egypt. Since Egypt is located downstream relative to Ethiopia, the issue of rational use of the Nile's water resources is of a conflicting nature. The situation is extremely serious and Egypt has already declared the possibility of war, referring to Ethiopia.

The Nile in Egypt flows almost all the time through the desert, not counting the narrow strips of green irrigated land bordering the river on both banks, a homeless desert makes up the entire territory of the country. In the struggle for survival in this desert, the river plays a key role.

Giant platinum was built upstream of the Nile in order to satisfy the need for electricity, but they also began to delay the flow of the river and ruined the lives of Egyptian peasants. Previously, this country was one of the best soils in the world, but the construction of dams disrupted the sedimentation process, which naturally enriched this land for many thousands of years. Now the fields bring an extremely meager crop.

The direct result of modern dam construction methods is the decline of agriculture in Egypt, for the first time in history. Peasants are forced to abandon the lifestyle that has supported the nation for many thousands of years. As the river approaches the southernmost point of the Egyptian border, it becomes difficult not to notice that these people are quickly modernizing and that tourism is moving agriculture away from the main pillar of the Egyptian economy, while the old way of life is gradually becoming a thing of the past.

The construction of a giant dam in Ethiopia can solve many problems of the population of this poor country, including providing fully with electricity. With the positive outcome of this project, it is planned to erect several more dams, which in turn will reduce the flow of water resources located downstream of Egypt by about half.

Undoubtedly, every country wants to use the priceless wealth of the Nile to the maximum. If a compromise is not found, the future fate of the Nile will be sad. Be that as it may, the river acquired such a specific environmental problem due to population growth, its modernization and increased needs.

Bogs occupy more than 10% of the territory of Russia. We can say that this is one of the main natural indicators of the country. But whether swamps are wealth, and whether draining the swamps makes sense, will be considered in this article.

Seemingly solid benefit

Russia is a huge country with a large population. And this population needs to be fed. And if the degree of bogging of some territories is more than 30%, where do you get fertile soil for sowing? This is one of the main goals of the phenomenon of draining swamps. It is known that swamps cover the flat areas most suitable for the construction of meadows and arable lands. The same applies to forests. In wetlands, the forest practically does not grow, and if it grows, then it is impossible to use this wood, since it is difficult to harvest and export.

The second reason justifying the drainage of forest marshes is fires. Everyone already understood how dangerous peat burning becomes. A swamp is formed by overgrowing a reservoir. At first, the main vegetation is reed and reeds, then the water stagnates and is covered with duckweed, sedge and saberfish begin to grow. The last plant has a powerful root system, and removing it is not so simple. Gradually, vegetation covers the entire water surface, and sphagnum or, in other words, peat mosses form on it. Peat is dry, its moisture content is not more than 2%, and therefore it is highly flammable, but under it there may be a multimeter water column.

Now imagine that by someone else's, more often than human, negligence, a spark falls on a peat hummock, and it lights up. A fire in peat bogs is a terrible phenomenon. Firstly, peat burns in breadth and inland, since at high temperature the water under it begins to evaporate. Secondly, it is not possible to extinguish such a fire with conventional equipment - it simply will not go into wetlands. As a result, the process becomes uncontrollable, and brings the country multimillion-dollar losses.

Drainage of swamps - violation of ecological balance

However, drainage of swamps has a negative side. Along with obtaining good-quality fuel, which is peat, the expansion of fertile land and forest land, drainage of forests leads to adverse environmental consequences.

Swamps are real storages of pure water. The fact is that the notorious sphagnum mosses are excellent antiseptics, and, therefore, a full-fledged natural filter. Further, drainage of swamps reduces the nutrition of small, and, accordingly, large rivers. Fresh water flows into the ocean and becomes salty.

Drainage of the forest leads to the death of vegetation that needs moisture. This, first of all, concerns conifers, berries - cloudberries, cranberries, etc. Moreover, not only the forest in the vicinity of drained bogs suffers, but also located for tens of kilometers, because groundwater adheres to the principle of communicating vessels. Behind the change in the flora of the area, a change in the fauna also occurs. Fish, birds, invertebrates and animals die, whose life depends on dying vegetation and on proximity to the reservoir.

Draining the forest will have irreversible consequences if you do not approach this issue wisely. It is necessary to regulate the water regime, leaving reservoirs in the upper rivers and marshy areas in the watersheds. It is impossible to drain swamps located on sandy and sandy loamy soils, as well as those on which cranberries, cloudberries, and blueberries grow. It is important to maintain swamps on which rare species of plants, including medicinal, and animals grow.

And if we are talking about a summer cottage?

However, if we are talking about an ordinary summer cottage in a swampy area, which after a long struggle with the district administration, heaps of money and nerves spent, comes into your use, it is even ridiculous about the dangers of draining. It is unlikely that significant damage will be done to the ecosystem if you drain your 6-10 acres. Especially if you do not plan to make cloudberries the main garden crop.

If the acquired suburban area is located on a peat bog, its owners will have to perform a number of works to improve the soil on it. The land in such places, unfortunately, cannot be considered too suitable for growing various kinds of crops. Peatlands contain very little oxygen, which replaces methane. Also, such areas in spring and autumn, due to flooding, turn into a real swamp. How to drain a peat allotment if necessary - we will talk about this later in the article.

Ways to improve

In some cases, the problem of waterlogging in the allotment can be solved in a very simple way - by adding a certain amount of imported land. But to use such a technique, of course, it is possible only when the water on the site is collected due to the fact that it is located in a lowland and has relatively small dimensions. In all other cases, it is necessary to divert water from the allotment.

The answer to the question of how to drain the site, in this case, can be two technologies:

superficial;

with pipe laying.

The first method is considered the easiest. Do-it-yourself outdoor drainage on the wetland with your own hands will be absolutely easy. But when using pipes, you can equip a more efficient drainage system.

Ditching

This method is a good answer to the question of how to drain a swamp on a peat bog. The advantage of this method, among other things, is that when it is used, the owners will not have to spend a dime on water drainage from the site. For drainage, in this case, on the edge of the allotment, on its side, which is located below the others, a ditch about 50 cm wide and at least 1 m deep is dug.

If there is a slightly higher swampy neighboring area nearby, a trench should also be made on the border with it. This will close access to water from someone else's allotment.

Subsequently, in the course of execution on the site, various kinds of channels will need to be filled with all kinds of construction and garden waste. It can be, for example, stones, broken brick, weeds, etc.

Benefits of Using Pipes

An open way to drain water through ditches is simple and cheap. However, such a technique is used only in not very swampy areas. In all other cases, it is advisable to equip complete drainage systems with perforated pipes on the plots.

The answer to the question of how to drain the swamp in the garden, in most cases, this technology is simply ideal. The advantages of such diverting networks include, among other things:

more uniform and faster regulation of water balance in the soil;

the ability to cover absolutely the entire area of \u200b\u200bthe site.

When applying such a sleeve pass underground. Due to this, the useful area of \u200b\u200bthe site is not reduced. The beds during the cultivation of garden crops on such an allotment can be made including directly above the pipes.

How to equip a closed system

In this case, preliminary ditches are also excavated at the site for water drainage. In this case, the main trench is located around the allotment. Then dig ditches over the area of \u200b\u200bthe site.

At the bottom of dug trenches using this method of drainage, a waterproofing agent is laid - a thick film or roofing material. Next, a layer of medium-sized crushed stone or pebbles is poured into the ditches. Perforated pipes are laid on top. In order for the holes of such drainage lines not to become clogged subsequently, they are pre-wrapped with geotextile.

Connect the pipes at the points of convergence or intersection of the ditches using tees or corner fittings. Inspection wells made of plastic or concrete are obligatory equipped above these network elements. If such additions are available in the system, it will subsequently be very easy to eliminate blockages that appear in the pipelines and clean them of accumulated sludge.

What you need to know

Of course, in order for the water to leave in the subsequent section through the pipes by gravity, they must be laid under a slope. Otherwise, it will not be possible to drain the allotment. Unfortunately, it is not possible to mount the drainage pipelines at too large a slope. In this case, the pipes will subsequently be very rapidly silted. It is also not worth doing a very small slope of the drainage channels. Otherwise, the system will subsequently work inefficiently.

In most cases, pipes when arranging garden sewage networks are laid at an angle of 0.5 to 3 cm per linear meter. To step back from these parameters up or down is not worth it.

Receiving well

Thus, we found out how to drain the site using pipes. But where can you put the excess water itself? Drain it from the site, if it is located on the outskirts, you can just outside its aisles - in some kind of ravine, stream or pond. But if there are neighboring plots next to the swampy garden, you will need to equip a special well to receive the drains. If desired, such a container can also be built in the area located on the outskirts. After all, the water collected during drainage can subsequently be used to water the same beds.

Reception wells are equipped at the lowest point of a suburban area using this technology:

a hole is dug in the ground into which the main drainage trench is brought;

the bottom and walls of the pit are concreted with a layer of 5-10 cm.

Of course, in concrete structures of the well, when pouring, holes should be provided for the pipe plant.

Instead of a concrete structure, when arranging a drainage system, you can use plastic. This capacity will be easy to purchase from companies specializing in the supply of equipment for drain systems.

Reception pond

In most cases, the owners of peat gardens to drain the water, of course, equip a well. But instead of it, if desired, you can make an artificial pond on the site - a beautiful decorative pond. In this case, a foundation pit is also excavated in the ground, but wider.

The bottom and walls of the pit for arrangement on the site of the artificial reservoir are thoroughly cleaned of roots and stones. Further, the pit is laid out with a durable waterproofing material - best of all with a thick film. Through the holes in the film, drainage pipes are discharged into the pond. You can mask them at the bottom, for example, with beautiful stones or some kind of aquatic plants. In summer, unpretentious fish from the aquarium can be released into this pond. Spectacular swamp plants are usually planted around the pond.

Main difficulty

In principle, as you can see, the answer to the question of how to drain the site from the water with your own hands is quite simple. The most difficult task in this case, most likely, will be physically difficult earthwork. Indeed, ditches in the area will have to be dug up in fact a lot. However, for such a system to work as efficiently as possible, trenching on the site, of course, should be done first of all in the right places.

To entrust the project to equip the drainage system of the wetland allotment is best, certainly, to a specialist. A professional will be able to take into account all the nuances of the relief of this particular area. However, there are projects of drainage systems in suburban areas, unfortunately, quite expensive. If there is no money to order a pipe laying plan, you can try to develop it yourself. In order to find out where it is best to dig drainage trenches, you will have to wait for the first heavy rain. Observing the streams flowing along the ground, it will be possible to accurately determine the optimal location of the trenches.

How to drain a swamp: the use of hygrophilous plants

Of course, in most cases it is possible to drain the wetland only by cardinal means - ditching or laying pipes. But as an additional measure, in such a garden it is also worth planting plants that draw a lot of water from the ground. It can be, for example, willow, birch or maple. Such trees, since they are significant in height, are planted, of course, usually on the north side of the allotment. Otherwise, in the future they will block the plantings, which, in turn, can easily lead to a decrease in the yield of horticultural crops.

High groundwater levels on the site can also be reduced with shrubs. For example, a lot of water from the soil can be taken by hawthorn, rosehip, vesicle, and shrimp. Such plants can be planted around the perimeter of the site to create a hedge.

Soil methane

Of course, after drainage by open drainage or by laying pipes, the land on the site will in any case be more suitable for growing garden and horticultural crops in composition. But in order to further improve its quality, the owners of the site will have to:

sprinkle a mixture of clay and sand in a thin layer over the site;

carefully dig through the allotment using a shovel or, preferably, a cultivator.

Of course, in addition to clay and sand, manure mixed with sawdust is also a very good solution to scatter around the site, in addition to clay and sand. This will not only improve the structure of the soil, but also make it more fertile and nutritious. The introduction of various kinds of mineral fertilizers into the soil will also make it more suitable for growing garden and garden plants.

The advantages of peat bogs

So, how to drain the site from the water with our own hands and improve the soil on it, we found out. Of course, a lot of trouble can cause such an allotment to its owner. However, peatlands, in comparison with other types of soils, have their own advantages. For example, in such areas, plants usually tolerate winters much better. The land on peat bogs freezes slowly, in thin layers. Moreover, the soil on such plots never freezes too deep. So on such an allotment, after draining it, you can plant, for example, heat-loving roses, apricots, etc.

Wetland on the site is a problem for its owners. When buying a site, you can determine the excess of moisture by the presence of reeds, sedge, chinton. Subsequently, the owners are faced with unpleasant fumes, mosquitoes, poor growth of garden plants. Plants disappear due to insufficient oxygen access to the roots, their decay, exposure to toxic products (nitrates, acids, aluminum salts) formed in marshy soil.

On wetlands it is expensive to build a house. We have to build a deep pile foundation.

All these troubles are eliminated by draining the territory. There is a solution to the problem, and you can try to get rid of excess moisture yourself. The key to success in this is an understanding of the nature of the wetland area.

Different situations - different solutions

It is sometimes difficult for a specialist to determine the reason for the formation of a swamp. In this situation, it is important to familiarize yourself with the surroundings, to examine the lands of neighbors. Excessive soil moisture usually has two main causes:

1. Placing allotment in the lowland of the reservoir, which leads to the location of groundwater rather close to the surface. This reason is rarely confirmed, since few decide to consciously acquire land in a swamp.
2. Violation of the natural flow of water as a result of heavy rains. This problem is associated with several factors - the location of the site below the neighboring ones (water after rains constantly drains to it), the location close to the surface of a layer of viscous clay, or the presence of a source of swamp feeding.

In each case, there is a solution to the problem, tested by more than one generation of farmers. Decide which of the drainage methods to apply, will allow the analysis of the situation on the site.

High water table

Diversion of superficially located groundwater (“overhead water”) will allow closed-type drainage performed at a sufficient depth. Such drainage is installed along the perimeter of the site, as well as throughout its territory. In case of abundant waters, when diversion into the deep layers of the soil does not lead to a result, a drainage well and a pump capable of constantly pumping water and diverting it outside the territory are necessary.

Clay soil

Soil with a high clay content does not allow moisture to pass through, and the earth remains damp for a long time after rain and snow melt. If at the same time the land allotment is inclined, the flow of water comes from the land located above the surface. The optimal solution in this situation is the use of filling and open ditches for the accumulation and removal of moisture deep into the earth.

The organization of closed drainage is not so effective, and the formation of a filtration layer to the surface of the earth is far from always justified.

Marshland

The optimal, but very costly solution is to raise the ground level and make a drainage ditch along the perimeter. Before draining the site, it is important to consider plans for the use of the territory and determine the depth of water disposal. With seasonal wetting of the territory, you can dig a ditch in the lowest part of the site. In addition to it, it is necessary to perform open drainage channels, often located throughout the territory. An inclined area should be protected from slipping by plants or geomats.

Allotment in lowland

Waterlogging can be controlled with a pump and a drainage well. If it is appropriate and possible, the problem will be solved by a reservoir in the lowest part of the allotment and a closed drainage performed over its entire area. Drainage must be performed to a state in which the destruction of the foundations of buildings will not occur, and plants will be able to develop.

More about drainage methods

Allotment of land can be drained in various ways reclamation. Before choosing the right one, you should consider the following factors:

• water resistance of the soil, its composition;
• groundwater direction and location;
• buildings in the garden;
• the height to which you want to lower the groundwater level.

Importation of fresh fertile soil will allow raising the level of the allotment surface. If the land is plowed, it will mix with viscous and dense swampy soil, and the garden will have the opportunity to grow crops. The lands cultivated in this way do not require fertilizers for the next several years. However, the swamp is a sustainable ecosystem, so its return with time to its original form is not ruled out.

Sand application

If you add sand in the same proportion with the soil of the site, the quality of the land improves and air exchange is enhanced. With the addition of humus, it is possible to cultivate vegetables, berries, greens on the ground. Adding sand to wetlands is the creation of more effective land reclamation methods. The method is effective in itself if applied on clay soils with a slight excess of surface water.

Drainage

The arrangement of a drainage system is the most effective way to divert surface water for a long time. To create it, use plastic pipes with holes of small diameter in the walls. First you need to wrap pipes with holes with geotextiles in 1-3 layers, depending on the size of the soil particles. They are laid in pre-prepared channels to the following depth:

• for clay soils - 65-75cm;
• for loam - at 70-90cm;
• for sandy areas - up to 1m.

Open and closed ditches

Open drainage ditches will remove excess water from the soil surface. They are made with beveled edges at an angle of 20 degrees. The disadvantage of this method is rapid shedding, pollution of the outflow with leaves, garbage, stagnation of water. Such drainage facilities should be regularly cleaned with a shovel. Open drainage ditches ditches are not used in areas with sandy soil, as the sand is quickly washed away and drainage becomes ineffective. It is convenient to place the open drainage ditch on a site along the fence, where it does not bother anyone.

Closed drainage ditches - deep dug trenches, covered with a layer of sand and disguised as garden paths. They have an aesthetic appearance, the soil in them does not fall off, the water inside does not bloom.

For proper functioning of the system, dug trenches are led out into the well or dug them up to a layer of sand that will absorb moisture. If the channels become clogged, it will be difficult to clean the soil.

Raised beds

Planning to cultivate greens, vegetables, strawberries, owners of waterlogged plots build high beds. Excess moisture is collected between the beds, and plots of land with crops become drier. With the right approach, it is possible to grow crops even in areas with excess water. This is convinced by photos of gardens in the Netherlands, shrouded in a network of canals. Such conditions allow you to grow anything you want.

Digging a pond or well

A decorative pond will collect excess moisture and allow it to gradually evaporate. At the same time, the garden area will become noticeably drier, and the pond itself will decorate the landscape. A vivid example convinces of the effectiveness of this method - the Cross Canal, built for the same purpose in the park of Versailles.

Wells are not inferior in efficiency to ditches. To create them, pits are excavated at the lowest points of the site, which are covered with gravel or sand. Their diameter in the lower part is half a meter, in the upper - two meters, and a length of about a meter. After rain or snow melt, excess moisture gradually flows into them.

Planting moisture-loving trees

Moisture-loving trees help rid a swampy garden of excess water. Weeping willows, alder and birch feel well here. Such trees evaporate excess fluid through the leaves. Willows and birches dry the wetlands, but for sufficient drainage it will take several years. You can also cultivate cranberries, blueberries, viburnum. When the territory becomes drier, you should move on to growing your favorite plants.

Usually reed and sedge grow in wetlands. To combat them, drain the area in a suitable way, for example, by releasing excess moisture into the nearest stream. These plants have a powerful root system, and only by removing it can a new growth be avoided for a certain time. To do this, you will have to dig deep holes with your own hands, remove each root, lay roofing material on the bottom of the holes. The reed seeds are well tolerated, and if the earth remains wet, the problem will return.

Extreme measures

If none of the reclamation methods listed above gives the desired result, or does not want to wait, you can invite specialists. With powerful pumps, they quickly pump out unnecessary moisture, and the effect will be visible within a day. However, this is an expensive service, and the problem of waterlogging may return over time.

When in the struggle for dry soil it was not possible to win, you can put up and beat the excessive moisture of the earth. To do this, you can equip the pond, surrounding it with plants that are demanding on moisture.

In humid conditions, blueberries, viburnum, cranberries, marsh iris, mint, buttercups, thuja, heather grow well. A good addition will be girl's grapes, lush ferns, callas, some varieties of orchid plants.

There are many methods to combat excess moisture in the garden. However, when none of them helped, you have to come to terms and create your own corner of nature. The owner of a wetland plot can successfully not only grow garden crops and flowers, but also build a house. There are many proven solutions for this.

Land drainage consists in removing excess water in the soil.   to improve its water-air regime, to ensure active microbiological processes in order to mineralize the accumulated plant residues of bog vegetation. The lands on which the peat layer exceeds 30 cm belong to swamps, and with a smaller layer thickness - to wetlands.

In wetlands and wetlands as a result of excessive moisture and lack of oxygen, many harmful compounds for plants and the increased acidity of the soil are formed. On these soils, marsh vegetation — sedge, mosses, reeds, etc. — grows in its natural state.

Distinguish lowland swamps that feed on river, groundwater and surface water. The reaction of their mass is weakly acidic, neutral, and sometimes alkaline. The bogs are acidic. In the water regime, precipitation plays their main role. Without radical improvement, such lands are unsuitable for active use in agriculture.

Sources of excessive wetting of swamps may be: atmospheric precipitation in quantities exceeding evaporation; surface water that drains from adjacent slopes; spring and summer flood waters; groundwater, which occur at a shallow depth of soil. When draining these lands, the following main tasks arise: to protect the drained areas from surface and groundwater from the outside; lower groundwater level. To solve these problems, drainage systems are being constructed.

Drainage system   - This is a complex of hydraulic and engineering structures located on the drained territory to drain excess surface and ground waters. A properly constructed drainage system should provide: optimal water-air regime in the zone of plant root systems and the possibility of (free) available regulation; the possibility of early sowing; the availability of using a variety of agricultural machinery and the possibility of transporting crops from drained territory.

The drainage system includes: drained territory, water intake, into which excess water is discharged (lake, river, flowing ponds, separate reservoirs and other places); water drainage system of canals with hydraulic and road structures.

According to the methods of drainage (removal) of excess water, which is collected by the drainage network from the reclaimed territory, drainage systems are divided into three types: gravity, machine and mixed.

On gravity systems, the most common in Ukraine, the water from the drainage system flows (discharged) into gravity water inlets.

On machine systems, water from the drained system is diverted to the water intake using pumping stations. Such systems are built when the water level in the water intake is higher than the water level in the main canal.

Mixed drainage systems are built where the water level in the water intake changes dramatically throughout the year.

In dry years, sometimes on dry lands during the growing season there is not enough water for plants. In this regard, dual-action drainage systems are now being built: with excess water in the soil, it is discharged, and with a lack of water, it is brought into the root layer of the soil. Such a system is called drainage and irrigation.

For the first time in our country, the Irpen drainage and irrigation system in Ukraine was built.

By type, drainage systems are open, closed and combined..

Drainage by open canals is carried out by a network of canals created in drained meadows and pastures to accelerate the removal of spring melt or summer storm water, the accumulation of which leads to waterlogging of the territory and the death of natural economically valuable vegetation. Observations established (academician A.I. Kostyakov) that the permissible duration of flooding of plants with flood waters in spring is 20-25 days for hayfields, and up to 36 hours during the full vegetation period. For vegetables, the duration of flooding is only 5-6 hours.

Open channels are laid in the form of a sparse (after 300-600 m) network, as well as separate temporary or permanent ditches. Their depth can be from 1 to 3 m, depending on the need for depth to lower the level of groundwater, the purpose of the canal, the nature of the swamping (surface or groundwater), the properties of the rock underlying the peat, the rate of drainage, and other reasons.

The drainage rate is considered   (called) the depth of groundwater, which provides the moisture content of the root layer of the soil necessary to obtain high crop yields. It should be considered as the depth of groundwater, which allows you to get the highest crop yields.

The drainage rate, as well as soil moisture, varies depending on soil characteristics, season, weather conditions, depending on the type of plants and their growing season. So, at the beginning of field work, the drainage rate should be such that the tillage and sowing units can move freely through the fields and favorable conditions are created for seed germination and emergence of seedlings of agricultural plants. During this period, according to the Ukrainian Research Institute of Hydrotechnics and Land Reclamation, the optimal groundwater levels, depending on weather conditions, are 50-70 cm. Later, with the growth of plants and their root systems, for example, for cereals and perennial grasses the drainage rate is 70-90 cm, and for sugar beets - 115-130 cm.

Cost-effectiveness of open channels   consists in the fact that their creation does not require large expenditures and they are distinguished by the simplicity of the structure, which can be fully mechanized. Their disadvantage is that a significant part of the area (10-15%), on which a uniform network of channels is located, is excluded from economic use, and the network itself divides the field into parts that impede the use of high-performance equipment. In addition, various kinds of bridges, crossings, walkways, driveways for equipment, walkways for animals have to be built on this square, which requires corresponding operating costs. Therefore, to the best of their ability, open channels are replaced by closed drainage.

Drainage (English drain - drain, drain)   - This is a system of underground drains (pipes, slots, moves in the ground), as well as open channels for draining water from the soil. Closed drainage helps increase land use, eliminate weed breeding centers, and improve the conditions for mechanization of work. This type of drainage is more durable, causes less costs for the construction of transitions and repair of the open system, contributes to increased soil fertility, crop cultivation, increased labor productivity and reduced production costs.

Drainage is trench and trenchless. Trench drainage includes pottery, plastic, wood, stone, gravel, fascia and others, and mole and slot-hole drainage.

Trench drainage most often used to drain excessively moistened mineral soils. The most famous and more common are pottery as well as plastic drains. In woodland and on peatlands, wooden drainage is used from boards, poles, fascines - wire bundles of brushwood (small branches or talnik) with a diameter of 20-30 cm. When constructing a trench drainage, a trench is laid in which pottery or other drains are laid to the appropriate depth. Given the greatest mass of the location of the root systems of plants in the soil, the depth of the location of drains also depends on the depth of freezing of the soil and soil.

Trenchless drainage   It is also used mainly for draining deep peatlands and mineral soils that are heavy in mechanical composition.

Mole drainage   - This is a system of molehills, tube-like holes with a diameter of 6-10 cm, made by a special tool at a depth of 40-70 cm.The knives and the drainer are the working bodies of this tool, called a plow - a steel cylinder pointed at the front with an increased diameter at its end. A knife is fixed on the plow body, which forms a gap, and a trainer attached by a cable to the lower part of the knife at the required depth, when the gun moves, forms a drain (molehill) with compacted walls. The formation of drains begins with an open channel into which water will subsequently drain from them.

The distance between drains depends on the characteristics of the soil.. On mineral soils they are laid at a distance of 2-10 m, and on peaty soils - 10-20 m from one another with an inclination towards the collector.

Slit drainage is used on compacted, poorly decomposed peat bogs, as well as on swamps with buried (hidden) from tree felling using drainage-slotted tools, which make deep (0.9-1.5 m) drainage slots with a width of about 12 cm. covered and compacted by rollers.

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