-4f . -• 





It 



re ■ 



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 

 leZ man days. 



SOIL EROSION 



Check Dams This Way To Control Gullies 



•£*.>.'• 





/.-^'T^ 





^s**^ 





«fis^?> 



is? 









jf«W»:4^' 



f \^ 





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 dumps 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 keepis build- 

 ing up. until 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 rains. 



stream. If neglected, a 'small ditch like 

 that- shown here will in a few years be 

 a deep one that will greatly reduce the 

 yalu&-of the farm. 



■■ Hw>-«^ '""^t'-^r* 





HERE IS THE COMPLETED DAM 



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

 as shown at the left. The dqra is considerably higher than it appears m the 



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



through fo fall on the sod bags 'as shown to the left^ The sod bags preven* 

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



