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Field drainage tile

Printed From: Unofficial Allis
Category: Other Topics
Forum Name: Shops, Barns, Varmints, and Trucks
Forum Description: anything you want to talk about except politics
URL: https://www.allischalmers.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=201099
Printed Date: 16 May 2025 at 11:59am
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Topic: Field drainage tile

Posted By: scott
Subject: Field drainage tile
Date Posted: 29 Apr 2024 at 10:48am

I own a deep 40. 1/8 mi wide by 1/2 mi deep. The very back 10 acres (of woods) has a county drain ditch that runs thru. Getting ready for the field tile crew we cut a path thru the woods to the ditch to run the main. I remember the 'panic' of 'wrecking' such a big area of my trees, the saw was in my buddies hands and he went to town clearing a path.

25 years later, well probably started 5 years ago, the end of the field was too wet to do anything with. Every year the spot got larger until this year when the woods is flooded and the field is swamped. The tile is plugged and only dropping a 1" diameter stream off the end of the pipe.

The neighbor is an excavator. I got him back there last year and he exhumed a 8 foot long plug out of the tile. Tree roots. The obvious culprit was 20, maybe 25, feet away. This year was more of the same, different spot only 100 feet or so before the ditch with the offending tree probably almost 35' away. The tile went from dumping an inch of water to like 4 or 5 inches of water... But...

I've had it. I'm going out this spring and cut down every tree within 50 feet of the tile. Screw the deer and the squirrels we are going big. Probably have the excavator back to push up all the stumps so I can do something with the open area.

Years ago I wish I had advise from a FOG saying cut (more of) those trees down. Those roots will travel a long ways and infiltrate a solid, no perforations, drainage pipe. Feeling bad for the trees we cut was stupid, I still had tons of trees left after we cut the initial path and then the sun got thru and suddenly we had grass growing in the woods, yes with deer and squirrels. Even the tile guy never got 'excited' by my less than ideal situation. Years later it seems the correct answer has become to clear a 100 foot wide swath and get the roots waaay back. I wish I had understood that back then...

Replies:

Posted By: JC-WI
Date Posted: 29 Apr 2024 at 2:31pm

Or go along the tree line with a root cutter every so many years

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He who says there is no evil has already deceived himself
The truth is the truth, sugar coated or not. Trawler II says, "Remember that."

Posted By: dkattau
Date Posted: 29 Apr 2024 at 7:00pm

Depending on what kind of trees, 100 feet might not be enough. If it’s cottonwoods, you might think about going further.

Posted By: Pat the Plumber CIL
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2024 at 7:41am

Tree roots should not be able to grow through solid pvc that is properly glued and installed. Now when a crack or opening is available roots can grow through a hairline crack . Problem today is high quality schedule 40 pvc is expensive. About 50 dollars for a 10 foot length. They do come in 20 foot lengths with bell ends but have not priced any lately. There are cheaper pipes but you get what you pay for.

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You only need to know 3 things to be a plumber;Crap rolls down hill,Hot is on the left and Don't bite your fingernails

1964 D-17 SIV 3 Pt.WF,1964 D-15 Ser II 3pt.WF ,1960 D-17 SI NF,1956 WD 45 WF.

Posted By: scott
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2024 at 9:34am

The 'solid' pipe thru the woods is a flexible black 6" corrugated pipe that was laid in place by the Tile Machine. If there were stones or whatnot I could see where it might have been damaged slightly knifing it into place.

Posted By: ac fleet
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2024 at 10:38am

tree roots have no problem going thru that flimsy black plastic tile!! It comes either slotted OR solid and trees will go thru either one in a heartbeat.

IF you use solid then you have to step up to sewer grade white thick wall stuff and sit down when you see the price of that stuff!

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http://machinebuildersnetwork.com/

Posted By: Lars(wi)
Date Posted: 30 Apr 2024 at 8:27pm

Why not just have an ‘open ditch’ or a concrete lined open ditch in the woods? Or better yet a ‘waterway’ leading to the county ditch?

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I tried to follow the science, but it was not there. I then followed the money, and that’s where I found the science.

Posted By: bobkyllo
Date Posted: 02 May 2024 at 2:42am

It might be cheaper to run a new main but this time run a few bare cooper wires along side the tile. The copper wire will keep the trees from plugging your pipe

Posted By: scott
Date Posted: 02 May 2024 at 11:22am

Lars, that would work. It would be a deep ditch and cut the woods in half.

Bob, the idea of a new main thru the woods has crossed my mind. The tube is knifed in with a tracked tile installation machine, there would be no way to get the copper wire in.

Posted By: LicBarrett
Date Posted: 15 May 2025 at 7:27am

I’ve used a soil probe and just checked by hand sometimes to find the old clay tile—damp spots usually give it away, especially during dry stretches when the rest is dry.

Posted By: Allis dave
Date Posted: 15 May 2025 at 8:39am

I fell for you. I like my trees. Just put in a little tile here. 40' form the edge of the field where those little short annoying willows grow. Tile said get those cleared out fast or there will plug the tile in a hirry looking for water. even 40' away.
I used to hear that the trees roots go about as far as it's crown.