pasture. The gully is to be controlled 

 by grasses. The owner furnished brush, 

 straw, and posts. He will also furnish 

 seed. To build all the checks required 

 12 'man days. 



SOIL EROSION 



Check Dams This Way To Control Gullies 



PLACING STRAW IN THE BOTTOM OF THE TRENCH 



The straw placed over the bottom of the trench, three or four inches deep, 

 protects the exposed dirt. Brush is piled in the trench and dirt is tramped 

 behind. As the water hits the brush it dumpjs its load of silt and passes 

 through on its way down stream. 



a great deal themselves to control ero- 

 sion by stopping small ditches with wire 

 check dams as illustrated on this page. 

 Instead of being carried off the farm, 

 which happens frequently after heavy 

 rains, the soil and silt is deposited in 

 the bottom of the draw. It keeps build- 

 ing up uptil the ditch is filled ready for 

 seeding or sodding. Late fall or early 

 winter before the ground freezes solid 

 is a good time to put in wire check dams 

 to stop soil wash from early spring thaw- 

 ing and spring rcdns. 



stream. If neglected, a small ditch like 

 that shown here will in a few years be 

 a deep ofte that will greatly reduce the 

 value of the farm. ■. ' ;;•.: •:..•■ 





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HERE IS THE COMPLETED DAM 



The dirt behind the dam is tamped and a sod bag apron has been added 

 osjshown at the left. The dam is considerably higher than it appears in the 

 picture. The branches and straw will catch the silt and let the water go 

 through to fall on the sod bags as shown to the left. The sod bags prevent 

 the water from gouging out a deep hole below the dam. 



