Description of practice

Diverting water flow involves reshaping fields or field boundaries to divert water to other locations, e.g. to prevent the creation of rills and gullies.

Examples of how to divert water flow Further information
(see Note below)

AMP41 01

Fascine drainage

Fascine drains are constructed as fishbone-shaped trenches and used to drain excess water from elevated lands that might affect plots of land or houses below. They also help to prevent landslides and gullies.

 

»WOCAT technology 744

AMP41 02

Drainage ditches in steep sloping cropland

Drainage ditches are dug with a gradient of 10-20% in steep cropland areas to reduce soil erosion by diverting excess rainwater.

 

»WOCAT technology 1016

AMP41 03

Landslide prevention using drainage trenches lined with fast growing trees

Linear gravel bed ditches lined with local tree species are constructed at an angle across the hillslope to channel surface runoff towards the main watershed tributary in land prone to waterlogging.

 

»WOCAT technology 1457

AMP41 04

Cascading ditches with sediment traps

Cascading ditches, silt traps and a larger catch basin are built between pineapple fields to collect runoff during rain and minimise transport of eroded soils to natural water bodies.

 

»WOCAT technology 1712

AMP41 05

Water run-off control plan on cultivated land

Contour banks with a slight gradient are constructed to intercept overland flow on cultivated land. These discharge into larger watercourses that run directly downhill. The contour banks shorten the slope in order to reduce flow velocity and prevent soil erosion.

 

»WOCAT technology 956


Note: Most of the Further information links are to a full description of the example in the WOCAT database. However sometimes the link may be to similar practices or a research paper. Occasionally the link is to a commercial product in which case it should be understood that this does not imply any endorsement of the product by iSQAPER.