Use a mowing program to preserve a shallow bowl-shaped waterway. Allow for bird nesting by mowing before May 10 and after July 15. If sediment does settle into the center of the waterway, or if the bottom of the waterway becomes flat or humped in the middle, runoff is forced to the sides or even outside of the waterway. Use sound conservation strategies on the land above the waterway to keep soil on the crop field, and at the first sign of a filled-in waterway, reshape and reseed to ensure proper function. Install a waterway outlet structure where the runoff dumps into an outlet or into the road ditch.
Structures are especially important where water falls from one level to another.
Get help from the local conservationist in designing an outlet structure that can prevent gullies and gulches from cutting back into the waterway. If the grass stand is poor or difficult to establish, fertilize the grass periodically and evaluate the results. Inspect waterways frequently and repair minor rills or gullies by reshaping and reseeding. Control burrowing animals such as badgers, groundhogs, and moles. Because running water tends to swirl around obstructions, keep the waterway free of rocks, tree stumps, or debris.