CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1908-10-01
IMPORTANCE OF DRAINAGE
TO COUNTRY ROADS
RBddins Roads Storm and Underground Water Subect
of Thoushtfu Paper Sent Out BY The United
States Office of Pubc Roads. Will Soon
issue a Buletfn ON Concrete Drains. s.t

With an average of $1,000 tons of
water falling in the form of rain on
each mile of public road in the United
States annually, it Is scarcely to be
marvelled at that the ten command
ments of the road builder can be sum
med up succinctly in the word drain
age"
The saying has truth for basis, as
good drainage is the primary requisite
for all roads. Even is sand roads this
holds true, for there good drainage"
means such as will safely remove the
storm water without erosion or gully
in. and still retain the surface moist
ure.
To secure good drainage one must
take into consideration both the sur
face water and the underground wat
or. The surface water must be re-
moved quickly and completely and
without subjecting the road to exces-
sive scour or erosion. For this reason.
the center of the road should be raised
and the slope towards the side bitches
should be from one-half to one inch
to each foot distance, or so that the
water will run freely to the side ditch
es and not flow down the road or re-
main in puddles on the roadway. The
sideditches should be of ample size to
care for the severest storms with a
fall of not less than 6 inches to each
100 feet. Frequent and ample cross
drains should be constructed and ev-
cry opportunity taken to get the water
away from the road as quickly as pos
sible. Any road along which you see
water standing in the side bitches or
on which puddles of water have col
lected or which has been badly quilted
and eroded by the rains has poor
drainage and is in need Of immediate
attention. In fact earth roads nearly
always require little attention after
each rain.
The split-log drag is essentially a
tool to maintain good drainage on our
earth roads, and should be used after
each rain. On a heavy clay or gumbo
soil the drag when properly used
tends to puddle the road surface. keep
it free from ruts, dense, smooth and
hard, thus securing the best surface
drainage possible.
But in many places the underground
water is too near the surface and must
be removed before a good road will be
possible. This means that some form
of sub-drainage must be resorted to
usually tile drains, of clay or concrete
Water from whatever source must b<
gotten rid of effectively. for water
plus clay or gumbo invariably equals
mud when mixed in spring and sum-
mer. Water becomes ice in winter an1
as water in freezing weather expand.
one-eighth its volume. the road heave:
out of shape and when the ice melts
the road disappears beneath the ris'
ing tide of mud constantly fed by raint
melting SHOWS and underground
springs.
III Seeps anu uo6Sy piaSoo 'Ho gu"
drainage in order to be fully effective
should lower the water level to nc
less than three feet below the roa'
surface If tiles are used they shout
be carefully laid, true to grade. Mos
failures in tile drainage can be at
tributed to carelessness in laying. o.
too fat grade. Tile less than inches
in diameter should rarely be used
nor should a grade of less than
inches to the 100 feet be used unless
absolutely necessary. In a very dens
soil, it is always advisable to cove
the tile to at least depth of 6 to !:
inches with coarse sand or fine gravel
AAlHll GNEn LIN