Some of our fields are irrigated by gated pipe
We have two different types of pipe, both are gated.
This means there are little gates cut into the pipe which are opened and closed as needed
The gated pipe sounds like a really nice way to go. No dipping into the water, no setting up of dams..just open or close the gate.
But, even things that seem like a gift in reducing the workload; has its drawbacks.
In this case TRASH!
Trash is a problem in all the ditches, (we have trash cleaners, but sometimes the wind blows in the trash after the trash cleaner has done its work.
Sooooo….here you are looking at a gate all plugged up with trash..stopping the water.
We come along and clean out the trash. Sometimes the trash is a stick or corn cob–those things get really, really, stuck. They are very hard to get out. Gradually, working and working our fingers into the little gate we can break up the item and force it out through the hole.
It takes time, but it can be done.
In a siphon ditch, a person just lifts the trash out with a shovel. 🙂
Happy Monday, Everyone!
Your friend on a western Colorado farm,
Linda
Life on a Colorado Farm 
It sounds as if the new type of irrigation pipe is one step forward and two steps back.
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It is. Our favorite is the cement ditch…mud ditches the lest favorite.
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Can you insert a heavy duty wire at the start of the pipes to catch trash or would that cause more problems?
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We have a trash collector, but sometimes the trash gets in anyway.
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Are we talking human trash or stuff like leaves and twigs?
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Sometimes plastic bottles, plastic grocery bad, leaves, branches, twigs, you name it…we get it.
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Goodness.
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It’s all part of farming
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I can see where the gated pipe would get clogged up and not as easy to clear out…back breaking work for sure! 😦
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A real pain. 🙂
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Sounds like a big job keeping on top of that rubbish!
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It is…but, a job I guess we must like. 🙂
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