h THESIS : DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR ED. WILLIAMS FARM 2H) ON aa TOs TC ee F, T. WILLIAMS ‘| ashes a PY — as 7 oa i a er * a Ss ee eee ee THESIS mmm 3 1293 01101 8540 SUPPLEMENT MATE Ria IN BACK OF BooK PLACE IN RETURN BOX to remove this checkout from your record. TO AVOID FINES return on or before date due. MAY BE RECALLED with earlier due date if requested. DATE DUE DATE DUE DATE DUE FEB 19 2001. 198 c/CIRC/DateDue.p65-p.14 Senior Agricultural Thesis OMT "DRAIUACE SYSTEM TOR ED. WILLIAMS’ FARM, PETOSKEY, MICHIGAL. by Pr. T. Willians, Class of '98. Miichigan Agricultural College, Agricultural College, Mich. — TO @ ee ree ee oe ” ° ——- THESISN DRAINAGE SYSTEM FOR FD. WILLIAMS' FARM, PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN. purvey. The land to be drained is in Bumet Co., Miich., Township of Resort. It is a part of the E 1/2 of the SH. 1/4 of Sec. 14. This eighty is crossed by a narrow swap about midway its length. In the S. W. corner of the south rorty there are three small poids, which contain water durin the wet seasons. The object of this thesis is to lay out a drainage system to drain these ponds and the swamp, and to determine what it would cost to construct a tile drain for this purpose. The land in this region is for the most part a rolling, sandy loam, and is naturally well drained. In this particu- lar case, however, the soil is a heavy clay loam, and retains the water so as to prevent cultivation to any extent. During the holiday vaeation of '97-'98 R. E. Morrovy and I mace a survey for this drain. This survey consisted in traversing the vortion of the farm drained, running the aréin lines and taking the levels on these lines. The country is rolling, therefore in the spring of the year, and during the wet seasons, the water runs down fron the hill sides and collects in these ponis cand the swarm. To find out the srvetect amount or water the drain vould have 103097 to carry at any one time it was necessary for rie to make a traverse survey of the portion of the farm from which the surface water would flow toward this drain. No great pre- cision was used in making this traverse, as it was at the best merely an avproxixate. The notes for this traverse survev will be found in the notes appended, and following them the area is corputed to be 36.6 A. Having completed the traverse, we next laid out the main drain. We began at a culvert situated on the road running along East side of farm, and proceeded along the natural water course up to the ponds. The bearings and lengths of every course were taken, and the principal turn- ing points were located by surrounding objects. A stake driven at the west end of the culvert was designated Sta. 0, and, beginning with this, hub stakes were driven every 100 ft. T-e next thing was to take the levels along those lines. The top of a large stone under the S. E. corner post of tne varn was tuken as our bencrvaark. Our datum plane was 100 ft. below this B. M. Levels were taken every 100 ft. and recorded by both itr. Morrow and myself, to avoid mistakes. This comilotec our survey. The next step was to make a profile map, which wiil be found appended. This map also furnishes all necessary information rerarding surface levels, grade lines and cuts. One of the most perplexing questions presented was where to have the outict of the drain. The land adjoining on the Kast side of the farm is a continuation of this swamp, and is not drained. At present it is an old slashing, grown u> to second frowtn. There being no good outlet at the road, tre only feasible vey to drain tne farm was to have the out-— let at Sta. 3. By observing the »nrofile it will be seen that there is quite an abrupt rise here. There is some difference of opinion as to how deen a Grain should be. This depends on the quality of soil and width one wishes to drain. A tile drain four feet deep will earry tho free water away from a larger area than one two ance one-half feet dcep. The best authorities say a tile drain should not be less than three feet deep; the deeper the petter, though it nay cost more. In drawing the crade lines shown on the profile maps I have endeavored, as far é&s possible, to have them at least three feet below the surfacc. Construction of the Drain. The prineipal point in the sonstructing of a drain is the method of openirg the treroh and laving the tiles on the grade line. To do this systematically requires a measur- ing rod six or eight feet in length, divided into feet, tenths and hundredths of a foot. A cord or wire is also needed to stretch above the line of the drain, parallel to the grace line. This cord or wire is best held in position by criving stakes or posts every fifty feet on each sidce of ditch, and connected by a cross—bar. These cross—bars being adjusted to the proper heicht, the wire or cord is stretched Cirectly above the center line of the drain. By some such means the ditch is readily dug to just the proper depth, and the tile laid to grade with comparative accurecy. Tne size of tile to be used denends on the cusntitv of ~ water to be removed ana the rall available. The aree draincs: is 86.6 A. Tne fall for the main is 1 foot in 158 feet. Con- sidering the rainfall to be one-haif inch in depth in g4 hours, by table compute! by R. %. Carpenter, Lansing, Mich., and given in Hodgman's Surveying, it rill take 8 in. tile to carry avay the water. This size of tile will be required only ror the lower part of the main drain. Above this one has to use tad judgement as to the size of tile required. sat rf The following 4s, to the best of my knowledgfre, the sizes tile to be used. Main Drain. Outlet to end. Lateral 357 Teet 8 inch ena. Lateral to Branch to Ponds 643 " 6 " Upper part main 200 =" 3 Lateral No. 1 300 ” 3 Lateral No. 2 650 4A Branch to Ponds. Outlet to end. Lateral 1080 feet 4 inch Lateral iio. 1 150 # 2 Laterel Yio. 2 350 " 3.” sub. Lateral to No. & 160 " 3" Upper part main 320 =" 3 4 In the construction of this drain I have designed to have four silfwells at the following places, viz: The junctions of Lateral No. 1 and the main, Lateral No. 2 with the main, branch to ponds with the main and mere the Lateral from large pone joins the branch. These sill-wells will + not only furnish places for the deposit of sill, but also places to insvect the drain. The outlet is to be protsacted py a stone wall, through which the last tile will extend. Cost of Construstion. Tile, 360 ft. 8" tile at $81.00 li. 29.16 650 " eu ou u 42.40 li. 27.56 1730 " au on " £3.40 M. 40.48 1330 4 gu om ft 15.30 kh. 20.380 150 " Qu ou tt 10.00 M. 1.50 Fstimated cost of cicgires trench, laying tile, ete. 110.00 Total cont. $229.00 i fe ICHIGAN STATE UNIV. wit ‘I I (ANNAN ill