The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-03-15
GOOD ROADS
IMPORTANCE OF DRAINAGE

WIFI du average VI GI,OOO IOiio VI
water falling in the form of rain on
each mile of public road in the United
States annually, it is scarcely to be
marveled at that the ten command
ments of the road builder can be
summed up succinctly in the word
drainage"
The saying has truth for basis, as
good drainage is the primary requisite
for all roads. Even in sand roads this
holds true, for there good drainage"
means such as will safely remove the
storm water without erosion or gully
ing and still retain the surface mois-
ture.
To secure good drainage one must
take into consideration both the sur
face water and the underground water.
The surface water must be removed
quickly and completely and without
\ subjecting the road to excessive scour
or erosion. For this reason, the CEN
ter of the road should be raised and
the slope toward the side bitches
should be from "a to 1 inch to each
foot distance, so that the water will
run freely to the side bitches and not
flow down the road or remain in pud-
dies on the roadway. The side bitches
should be of ample size to care for the
severest storms with a fall of not less
than inches to each 100 feet. Ere
quent and ample cross drains should
be constructed and every opportunity
taken to get the water away from the
road as quickly as possible.
Any road along which you see water
standing in the side bitches or on
which puddles of water have collected
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 re-
quire a little attention after each rain.
The split-log drag is essentially tool
to maintain good drainage on our
earth roads, and should be used after
each rain. On heavy clay or gumbo
soil the drag, when properly used,
tends to puddle the road surface, keep
it free from ruts and make it dense,
smooth and hard, thus securing the
best surface drainage possible.
But in many places the under
ground 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 what
ever source must be gotten rid of eff
fectively, for water plus clay or gumbo
invariably equals mud when mixed
during spring and summer Water
becomes ice in winter and as water in
freezing expands one-eighth it's vol
ume, the road heaves out of shape and
when the ice melts the road disappears
beneath the rising tide of mud
constantly fed by rains, melting SHOWS
and underground springs.
In seepy and Doggy places the SUBJ
drainage, in order to be fully effective,
should lower the water level to not
less than three feet below the road
surface. If tiles are used, they should
be carefully laid, true to grade. Most
failures with tile drainage can be at
tributed to carelessness in laying, or
too fiat grade. Tile less than inches
in diameter should rarely be used, nor
should grade of less than inches to
the 100 feet be used unless absolutely
necessary. In very dense soil, it is
always advisable to cover the tile to
a depth of at least to IL inches with
coarse sand or fine gravel. Care
should always be taken to secure a
free outlet for the drain and to pro-
tect the outlet with concrete bulk
head or catch basin, which can always
be kept clean and the outlet free.
The kind of tile to be used depends
on local conditions. Concrete tile, If
properly made, are equally as good as
clay tile. Which kind to use is en-
tirely question of dollars and cents.
If concrete tile can be made more
cheanlv than CLAW tile can be had use