Periodically maintain all ditches. Schedule routine maintenance every five years. Poorly shaped, sloped, or lined ditches require maintenance more often. To maintain ditches in a five-year cycle, divide municipal roads into five areas. Plan and schedule work on each section in a given year.
Planning begins with inspection.
Inspection in the fall enables a clear view of ditch conditions, and allows planning over the winter. Planned maintenance should produce ditches with adequate shape, slope, and linings. A backhoe or excavator most easily constructs trapezoidal or parabolic shaped ditches. If using a grader, run the wheel the ditch bottom. Compact the ditch bottom.