Indiana watershed initiative
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Two-Stage Ditch


​Two-stage ditches are drainage ditches that have been modified by adding floodplain benches within the overall channel. These benches mimic a natural floodplain zone. During high flows caused by storms or runoff, constructed floodplains allow the water to spread out and slow down, leading to greater channel stability.
The two-stage ditch is a viable management practice because it takes little land out of production, especially when grass buffer strips are already present. Also, once constructed, the two-stage ditch requires little to no maintenance compared to conventional trapezoidal channels. It is therefore a practice that easily co-exists with productive agriculture. Having the vegetated benches to reduce the velocity of high flows means that a much greater proportion of sediments, and the nutrients attached to them, are likely to be retained in the watershed rather than be flushed out to cause problems downstream.
Picture
Picture
Two-Stage Ditch in the Study Watersheds
A 0.5 mile stretch of two-stage ditch was created on Shatto Ditch in 2007.
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​Watch this video to find out about how the two-stage ditch got started in the Shatto Ditch Watershed.

There is a stretch of two-stage ditch in the Kirkpatrick Ditch Watershed which is also approximately 0.5 miles long.
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  • HOME
  • OVERVIEW
    • Why is this project needed?
    • Two-Stage Ditch
    • Cover Crops
    • How is the project running?
    • Where are we working?
    • Who are the partners?
  • TEAM
  • OUTPUTS
  • LATEST NEWS
  • RESOURCES