How to Cut an Irrigation Ditch With a Tractor

Ditches have been made by man for thousands of years to divert water. This could be to drain farmland or to re-direct water flow to stave off erosion. A tractor can be utilized to do the heavy lifting so long as the operator has the correct implements. It makes the job considerably easier if the tractor is used to first loosen the soil where the ditch is to be excavated prior to the soil's removal. A culvert pipe may be installed in the ditch after it has been excavated, but may not be necessary depending on slope of the land and expected volume of water.

Wooden stakes
Tractor of sufficient horsepower for task
Soil implements such as tiller, harrow or plow
Excavating attachment such as backhoe or front-end loader
Shovel
Culvert pipe (optional)

Instructions

Preparing the Site
- 1
  
  Any size of wooden stake will suffice.
  
  Mark the site where the ditch is to be dug. Place stakes to indicate the path the ditch is to be installed.
- 2
  
  Any tractor attachment suitable for field preparation will work to loosen soil.
  
  Attach the soil implement to the tractor. This can be a disk harrow, rotary tiller or plow.
- 3
  
  Loosen the topsoil wider than the desired finished base width.
  
  Loosen the soil where the ditch is to be dug. Make successive passes to till, plow or scarify with the disk harrow, deeper each time until reaching the depth capacity of the implement.
Digging the Ditch
- 4
  
  Many tractors are designed to accomodate a variety of digging implements.
  
  Attach the excavating implement. This could be a backhoe or front-end loader bucket.
- 5
  
  A hand shovel may be required for the finish work.
  
  Excavate the loosened soil. This can be removed to another location, or used on-site to build up the ditch's embankment. If the digging is more difficult as you dig deeper, it may be necessary to loosen the lower layers of soil.
- 6
  
  A properly dug ditch can last for many decades.
  
  Finish grading the ditch's bottom. Make sure that it is relatively smooth and follows the flow of the land. Use a hand shovel if necessary.
- 7
  
  If using culvert pipe, make sure it is of sufficient size for the expected water volume.
  
  Install culvert pipe. This can be done immediately, or at a later time as it may not be necessary for proper ditch operation.

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How to Cut an Irrigation Ditch With a Tractor

Instructions

Preparing the Site

Digging the Ditch