your opinion wanted

[rodsauder]

My property has about 5 springs that converge into a nice stream, It runs approx 100 gals per minute when it reaches the end of my property . I have found the head or source of all the springs. As it is in a cedar bush the small feeder springs soak through the ground and generally make a large area really wet.. Not that this is a problem but I have just cleared all the leaves and debris and I want to put in a small ( 4"?) big O pipe.. The reason is that it will just make it alittle drier around where we have paths going through the bush. I really do not want to hear from the safety police here on what all Im doing wrong. All I want is opinions on whether the plastic Big O (drainage pipe) should be solid to just carry the water to the main stream bed, or should I use perforated ?? Also should I use perforated with a sock?? Just want to get some ideas from people with more experience. The main idea is to keep all the water flowing without the annual falling of leaves etc, clogging it up. I will be building some small bridges ( footpaths) etc. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank Youl

 

[4570Man]

4" is too small IMO. I would go with 12" culvert, but this is overkill. The flexible drainage pipe sucks. If you do go with a smaller pipe use the drainage PVC pipe.

 

[rodsauder]

Thanks,, where the springs start it is not much of a flow,, it wouldnt even fill a 4'' pipe,, also some more info for you,, I need to go 50' a few different places, so culvert would be expensive,, plus it is not a straight line. But do you think I should use pvc with or without holes?? I know I can bend it slightly so it could work ?? Thanks for your input 4570Man.

 

[dragoneggs]

I have used 4in slitted flexible pipe for drying areas where small springs have caused me grief. I like the idea of the 'sock' and use that now as it isn't much more of a cost burden. Hard to advise without a better understanding of your particular situation but if you are getting up to 100gal/min flow when these all come together it sounds like you need a bigger culvert at some point depending on your routing.

 

[oosik]

I had a single "spring area" that I dried out. I hand dug a trench - 30' long by about 12" deep. Around 2" of gravel on the trench bottom - then 4" perf ridged plastic pipe thru this 30 foot run. I had normal perf pipe but I added additional holes with a drill. I put this perf pipe in the trench and more gravel to about 2" above the pipe. I initially left this ditch open to see how it would work. It worked great - so after about two weeks I filled in the ditch, above the gravel, with dirt. This trench has really dried out the area.

During the wet season - in the spring - the water flow out of the pipe is about equal to a full running garden hose. During the winter its much less. The water coming out of the pipe flows into my lake.

For sure - a 4" pipe is not big enough to handle 100 gpm. At some point you will need a larger pipe or culvert.

However - the idea of using perf pipe, in a shallow ditch, with gravel - will work and will dry a boggy area. Its the same idea that farmers use to dry soggy fields.

 

[fishheadbob]

I have used 4in slitted flexible pipe for drying areas where small springs have caused me grief. I like the idea of the 'sock' and use that now as it isn't much more of a cost burden. Hard to advise without a better understanding of your particular situation but if you are getting up to 100gal/min flow when these all come together it sounds like you need a bigger culvert at some point depending on your routing.

I've been in the same situations as the quoted poster, his answer is right on. I would also suggest digging your trenches first and watching for a while - months - seeing how things look. One of my bridges over a running ditch I don't know maybe 50 GPM in the spring after rain has 8 or 10 inch hard sewer pipe . I now use sock and stone everywhere and wish I had used sock earlier on .

 

[Mace Canute]

One important factor that affects the GPM of water flow is the grade. This graph is likely to be based on a constant grade.

From Capacities of Sewer Pipes

 

[rodsauder]

Thanks for all the replies.. To clear some things up,, there are 5 springs which I have cleaned and watched for over a year.. They run a small amount at each one and there are a few that just seem to seep at other places . Once all 5 have combined ( over 400 yards) they combine to make a stream.. I already have a 16" culvert over this part of the stream. This is for a footpath and quad path. I think what I am getting out of this is that it is worth the extra to spend on getting the sock with the perforated.. There are a few springs that I will put gravel down first and then the sock/pipe.. Oh,, I will use 6" on 2 springs and 4' on the others all with sock.. Thank You everyone.

 

[dragoneggs]

Thanks for all the replies.. To clear some things up,, there are 5 springs which I have cleaned and watched for over a year.. They run a small amount at each one and there are a few that just seem to seep at other places . Once all 5 have combined ( over 400 yards) they combine to make a stream.. I already have a 16" culvert over this part of the stream. This is for a footpath and quad path. I think what I am getting out of this is that it is worth the extra to spend on getting the sock with the perforated.. There are a few springs that I will put gravel down first and then the sock/pipe.. Oh,, I will use 6" on 2 springs and 4' on the others all with sock.. Thank You everyone.

Yes dig the trench deep enough to fill the bottom a bit first before laying the socked perf pipe... and deep enough you won't crush it with your tractor or whatever. Then fill with 3/4 crushed clean rock. Mind your slopes so the pipe doesn't have waves to it that would slow the flow. Remember water always flow down hill. Don't try to fight that.

 

[dstig1]

One thing I would caution with the black corrugated pipe is that it really doesn't hold up well underground. My excavator told me how easily it crushes, after i put some in. Too late. But then we had to dig up an area that had some of it in there, and lo and behold - it was flattened. It just isn't that sturdy. If you are keeping it very close to the surface, that would be best, and then don't drive over it. Otherwise use rigid PVC. That's all i will do now.