11th International Drainage Symposium August 30-September 2, 2022 Des Moines, Iowa

1. IMPLEMENTATION AND
MAINTENANCE
TWO –STAGE DITCHES
LUCAS COUNTY ENGINEER’S OFFICE
MIKE PNIEWSKI, P.E., P.S.
LUCAS COUNTY ENGINEER

2. TWO-STAGE CHANNELS
• TWO-STAGE CHANNELS PROVIDE FOR A MORE “NATURAL” CHANNEL SYSTEM
• INCORPORATES FLOODPLAIN AREA
• INCREASES OR MAINTAINS FLOW WHILE SLOWING VELOCITIES IN THE CHANNEL
DURING HIGH FLOW CONDITIONS
• MAINTAINS EXISTING FLOWS DURING NORMAL CONDITIONS
• PERMITS AREA FOR CHANNEL VEGETATION ESTABLISHMENT
• SLOWS CHANNEL VELOCITIES
• LOWERS EROSIVE POTENTIAL
• LOWERS “CARRYING CAPACITY” FOR PARTICULATES
• RESULTS IN GREATER SEDIMENT SETTLEMENT IN BENCHES
• ALLOWS GREATER POTENTIAL FOR PARTICULATE FILTERING BY BENCH VEGETATION
• GREATER TAKE UP OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS BY BENCH VEGETATION

3. TWO-STAGE CHANNELS
• BEST SUITED TO DITCHES WITH FOLLOWING CHARACTERISTICS
• DITCH GRADE OF 2% OR LESS
• DITCHES EXHIBIT BANK EROSION DUE TO UNDERSIZING
• ADJACENT FIELDS ARE FLAT <0.5% SLOPE AND LARGELY UTILIZE SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE
SYSTEMS
• BENEFITS TO AGRICULTURE
• REDUCES WETNESS IN FIELDS DUE TO LOWER FREQUENCY OF OUTLETS UNDER WATER OR
CLOGGING
• INCREASES AVERAGE FIELD YIELDS
• VEGETATION STABILIZES BANKS RESULTING IN LOWER MAINTENANCE
• LOWER STREAM SEDIMENTATION
• LITTLE CLEANOUT
• BENEFITS TO ENVIRONMENT
• IMPROVES PLANT-SOIL-WATER INTERACTION
• INCREASES NUTRIENT CYCLING
• REDUCES DOWNSTREAM EXPORTS OF NUTRIMENTS AND SEDIMENT

4. CHALLENGES WITH IMPLEMENTATION
• ACCESS
• OHIO PETITION DITCH LAW
• OHIO REVISED CODE 6131
• VIEW AND FIRST HEARING (~90 DAYS)
• DESIGN/CALCULATION OF BENEFITS AND COSTS (12-18
MONTHS) AND DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS
• FINAL HEARING
• PROVIDES FOR AN PERMANENT ACCESS EASEMENT
• 10-15 FOOT BUFFER STRIP REQUIRED

5. CHALLENGES WITH IMPLEMENTATION
• COMMUNICATION
• EARLY AND COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNICATION WITH
LAND OWNERS
• INVOLVE THEM IN THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION
PROCESS
• LEARN ISSUES WITH DRAINAGE/EROSION ON ADJACENT
LAND
• INCORPORATE LAND OWNERS NEEDS IN PROJECT
• PRESERVE SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE
• CONSTRUCTION TIMING AND PLANTING AREAS
• SPOILS

6. CHALLENGES WITH IMPLEMENTATION
• PERMITTING
• NO 404 REQUIRED IF NO CONSTRUCTION IN WATER
• SWPPP/NOI TYPICALLY REQUIRED BY CONTRACTOR
FOR MOST PROJECTS
• > 1 ACRE LAND DISTURBANCE
• FLOODPLAIN USE PERMIT TYPICALLY REQUIRED
• CLOMR/LOMR?
• ENDANGERED SPECIES
• OBTAIN SPECIES LIST FROM USFWS
• TREE CLEARING BETWEEN NOVEMBER 1 TO APRIL 1

7. CHALLENGES WITH IMPLEMENTATION
• PLANTING/EROSION CONTROL
• SOME RIP RAP MAY BE REQUIRED AT SHARP CURVES
• PLANT WITH NATIVE GRASSES
• USED WILLOW STAKES AT SOME LOCATIONS IN PLACE
OF RIP RAP
• EROSION CONTROL MATTING USED PRIOR TO GRASS
ESTABLISHMENT

8. TEN MILE CREEK

9. PROJECT OVERVIEW
• INCORPORATION OF 8,000 FEET OF TWO-STAGE
CHANNEL DESIGN
• FROM CONFLUENCE OF PRAIRIE DITCH TO
APPROXIMATELY 3,000 FEET SOUTH OF SYLVANIA
ROAD
• INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL AND INCORPORATION OF
NATIVE VEGETATION
• PROVIDE BENCH LOCATION OF FUTURE MULTI-USE TRAIL

10. SITE SPECIFIC ISSUES
• AREA SUBJECT TO FREQUENT FLOODING
• CONFLUENCE OF TWO AG WATERSHEDS
• UPSTREAM TEN MILE CREEK (RICHFIELD TWP)
• PRAIRIE DITCH (SPENCER AND HARDING TWP)
• NEAR FUTURE PROJECT
• REGIONAL RETENTION AT SECOR METROPARK
• MODIFIED TRAPEZOIDAL CHANNEL WITH HARDENED BANKS
• RIP-RAPPED BANKS ALONG ENTIRELY OF AREA TO REDUCE EROSION
• TRAPEZIODAL CHANNEL CREATED BY PREVIOUS FILLING OF FLOODPLAINS
DOWNSTREAM OF HERR ROAD

11. PRE – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS
CENTENNIAL ROAD

12. PRE – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS
HERR ROAD

13. POST – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS (2020)
CENTENNIAL ROAD

14. POST – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS (2022)
CENTENNIAL ROAD

15. POST – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS (2020)
HERR ROAD

16. POST – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS (2022)
HERR ROAD

17. SMITH DITCH

18. PROJECT OVERVIEW
• INCORPORATION OF 2,300 FEET OF TWO-STAGE
CHANNEL DESIGN
• FROM MCCORD ROAD TO I-475 EXPRESSWAY
• INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL AND INCORPORATION OF
NATIVE VEGETATION

19. SITE SPECIFIC ISSUES
• AREA SUBJECT TO FREQUENT FLOODING
• SUBURBAN WATERSHED WITH WATER SOLUBLE PHOSPHORUS AND NITROFICATION
• URBAN FERTILIZATION
• MODIFIED TRAPEZOIDAL CHANNEL WITH HARDENED BANKS

20. PRE – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS

21. POST – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS (2020)

22. POST – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS (2020)

23. CURRENT PROJECTS IN
IMPLEMETATION

24. ZINK-HELDMAN DITCH

25. PROJECT OVERVIEW
• INCORPORATION OF 1,600 FEET OF TWO-STAGE
CHANNEL DESIGN
• REPLACEMENT OF CULVERTS TO ALLOW FLOW
• OAK PARK TO PLUM GROVE
• INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL AND INCORPORATION OF
NATIVE VEGETATION
• USING PETITION DITCH PROCESS TO OBTAIN LAND
ACCESS
• FIRST HEARING – OCTOBER 8, 2020
• FINAL HEARING – JUNE 15, 2021

26. PRE – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS

27. POST – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS (2022)

28. VAN FLEET DITCH

29. PROJECT OVERVIEW
• INCORPORATION OF 12,600 FEET OF TWO-STAGE
CHANNEL DESIGN
• WECKERLY TO WABASH CANNONBALL TRAIL
• INVASIVE SPECIES REMOVAL AND INCORPORATION OF
NATIVE VEGETATION
• USING PETITION DITCH PROCESS TO OBTAIN LAND
ACCESS
• FIRST HEARING – MARCH 2, 2021
• FINAL HEARING – SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

30. PRE – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS

31. POST – CONSTRUCTION CONDITIONS

32. MAINTENANCE/RESULTS
• CHANNELS ARE PERFORMING
• NO SEDIMENT ACCUMULATION/”CLEAN” BOTTOMS
• CHANNELS BEGINNING TO MEANDER IN BENCHES
• NO FLOODING IN AREAS WHERE INSTALLED
• HIGHER YIELDS (10-20%) DUE TO NO OR SHORT TILE
BACK-UP TIMES
• FASTER DRAINAGE OF FIELDS

33. MAINTENANCE/RESULTS
• NATIVE GRASSES PERFORM BETTER
• LESS MAINTENANCE
• LESS BROADLEAF ESTABLISHMENT/ LESS SPRAYING
• LESS INVASIVE SPECIES ISSUES
• MOW ONCE A YEAR