Gully through the property

[ruffdog]

It is nice having a gully on the property as it gives you somewhere to toss yard waste. Toss your rocks, branches, grass clippings, stumps, fence posts, etc for years and not fill it up.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I have a gully, it was a mill race. half of it i use to pile brush. No water sits in it ever.

 

[BigGG]

That must be a California thing. In Mississippi they fill it with cast off appliances and tires for erosion control.

Then plant kudzu for good measure.

 

[yanmars]

They planted I think a type of willow here along the banks. Now it is invasive and very hard to kill and remove.
My ravines are full of 1950s cars, appliances etc. I wish all that junk was gone but it was here before me. Some of the items are slowly breaking down over time. I wish mine were open, they are over 50 feet deep and more than that across. Getting no bigger.
Your situation is different and more manageable. Hope you can find a good solution.

 

[airbiscuit]

That must be a California thing. In Mississippi they fill it with cast off appliances and tires for erosion control.

I thought the cast off appliances went in front of the Double Wide.

 

[jyoutz]

The issue with a gully is that if you fill it, the soil will be softer then the surrounding soil, so it will wash away when you get a heavy rain.

In order to stop this, you need something in there to hold the soil in place. Busted up concrete works great for this. It slows down the water and allows the soil to build up behind it.

Depending on the length of the ditch, you should build up several "dams" of broken up concrete or large rocks to hold the dirt in place and slow down the water.

On my land, I also use used and broken bricks, cinder blocks and even tile from jobs that I've worked on. I just keep building it up until I'm at the height of the surrounding soil. Most of the time I don't even need to add dirt, it just starts filling up on its own.

Brush, small trees and slash also work well.

 

[oosik]

I have a valley - smack dab in the middle of my mile long driveway. You drop 20 feet into the valley - 130 feet across the valley - then up the other side and back onto the level driveway.

We came down from Alaska in '82. Didn't bring enough gold to bridge the valley. The contractor started with broken concrete - then railroad ballast - then heavy pit run - etc, etc, etc.

There is a twelve inch culvert at the base of this construction. I've been here 43 years and not a single drop of water has EVER come down the valley.

Over 30 years ago - the culvert became "home" to an extended raccoon family. Both sides of the culvert are well camouflaged - you have to look pretty hard to find either side now.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I would do a series of dikes from the bank to the middle of the gulley (only half of its width) in the outside corners where the erosion is a issue, that would avoid further erosion on that bank and add sediments behind them adding soil. That be a simple and easy solution.

 

[jyoutz]

I would do a series of dikes from the bank to the middle of the gulley (only half of its width) in the outside corners where the erosion is a issue, that would avoid further erosion on that bank and add sediments behind them adding soil. That be a simple and easy solution.

Why only half width? All the specs I’ve seen extend the full width. The purpose is to raise the grade behind the dike as soil erodes and is deposited. Then you add more dikes on top to keep raising the gully.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Why only half width? All the specs I’ve seen extend the full width. The purpose is to raise the grade behind the dike as soil erodes and is deposited. Then you add more dikes on top to keep raising the gully.

Well one can do one or the other depending on your goal, my reasoning is to not restrict flow during flood season and reduce erosion on the desire bank with minimum effort or work... the issue with full width is water can erode on the extremity of the dam (on one or each side) during high flow, less likely with half width. I mean if ops want to retain water to have a pond then obviously what I am suggesting won't work for that.

 

[CptSteelHead]

what are you asking exactly ?

That's right, I thought the OP was asking about what type of tractor to use on hilly land near a gully.
I would be tempted to get some type of Skid-loader with wheels. You want something that sits low to the ground.

 

[jyoutz]

Well one can do one or the other depending on your goal, my reasoning is to not restrict flow during flood season and reduce erosion on the desire bank with minimum effort or work... the issue with full width is water can erode on the extremity of the dam (on one or each side) during high flow, less likely with half width. I mean if ops want to retain water to have a pond then obviously what I am suggesting won't work for that.

Yeah, I can see that. My comment was thinking this is a dry gully where the objective is to fill it in over time.

 

[Renze]

If you fill it, would it need a culvert in the bottom ? If not, you can tell a local dirt contractor where he can get rid of fill if he works nearby, if you have the patience to wait for availability and can live with the fact that the guy will drive over your lawn towards the gulley at random.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Yeah, I can see that. My comment was thinking this is a dry gully where the objective is to fill it in over time.

you are right for thinking that since OP has mentioned that idea... I simply don't like the idea to hold water from flowing in general but that's me, I was just giving option for erosion prevention in general... perhaps OP would be interested in a combination of both, a dam on the low end of his proprety and dikes upstream from it at each corner / erosion location.

 

[airbiscuit]

I would do a series of dikes from the bank to the middle of the gulley (only half of its width) in the outside corners where the erosion is a issue, that would avoid further erosion on that bank and add sediments behind them adding soil. That be a simple and easy solution.

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7250776570103663899

Here is some info on Dykes in a Ditch. Maybe that helps?

 

[Rockbadchild]

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7250776570103663899

Here is some info on Dykes in a Ditch. Maybe that helps?

lol, these kinda dykes would probably work but that wasn't was I was proposing...

 

[airbiscuit]

 

[Richard001]

Hum 37 post and the OP has not re-appeared. You guy as just talking to the wind.

 

[fishdoggy]

I am the original poster and didn't think we would get to 4 pages on this topic. I thank you all for the information and experience about the potential problems with the erosion. Someone has said if nothing may happen for 40 years don't worry about it, and another said it's a long way from any future structures so leave it alone. It will become a place to go with any stumps, rocks, other fill. Could not even consider filling 800 feet of this, nor would I want to, water will run down hill somewhere and this is the place.