Campaign Circular 23 This circular is about emergency flood information and how to improve flood damaged cropland

Dickey, Elbert C.

English

DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska

University of Nebraska - LincolnDigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - LincolnHistorical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Extension1979CC23 Revised 1979 Emergency FloodInformation...Improvement of Flood DamagedCroplandElbert C. DickeyUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln, edickey1@unl.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhistThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Extension at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted forinclusion in Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University ofNebraska - Lincoln.Dickey, Elbert C., "CC23 Revised 1979 Emergency Flood Information...Improvement of Flood Damaged Cropland" (1979). HistoricalMaterials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. 3012.http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist/3012uruv. OF NEBRASKA LINCOlN LIP~LH? • f. ~ ~031988 STACKS cc 23 (Revised 1979) BDJergeaey Flood lalorDJalioa IMPROVEMENT OF FLOOD DAMAGED CROPLAND By Elbert C. Dickey, Extension Agricultural Engineer Flooded cropland almost always needs some work to restore its original productivity. Listed below are the operations, in logical order, needed to do this quickly: 1. Repair or rebuild dikes or levees. 2. Open mouths of tributary waterways or streams that are clogged with silt, sand and debris. 3. Clean out farm ditches and drains where needed to remove excess moisture from the soil. Work up from the lower end. 4. Clear tile drain outlets and check to see that drains are operating properly. Rebuild or repair any damaged outlet headwalls. Obstructions in line can frequently be located by holes in the ground over the tile. Standing water over a tile line indicates that it is not operating satisfactorily. In making repairs, work upward from the outlet. 5. Remove excess water as quickly as possible. With approval of proper authorities, excavate through embankments to drainage ways to remove water by gravity. If water in drainage way is higher than that in field to be drained, install portable pumps on dike or ditch bank. To determine the number and sizes of pumps needed to drain an area, estimate the acreage covered and average depth of water. A 25-acre field covered with water averaging three (3) feet deep contains 75 acre-feet of water. A pump discharging 1350 gallons per minute or 3 cubic feet per second (450 gpm = 1 cubic foot per second), will remove 6 acre feet in 24 hours, or 75 acre-feet in about 12 1/2 days. Five such pumps would remove 75 acre-feet in 2 1/2 days. 6. Land leveling may be needed to smooth rough areas, to spread deposits of sand or silt, and to fill holes scoured out by flood waters. For minor leveling and smoothing, a float or drag may be used. To do best work, the drag should be comparatively long-at least three times its width. For heavy leveling, filling ditches and holes, and spreading sand and silt deposits, bulldozers and graders can be used. Where available, large crawler tractors and carry-alls will probably be the most economical. 7. Treat each field as needed. A competent soils expert can help in determining the type and extent of special practices needed. Usually sediment, silt and sand deposits can be plowed under. This will bring the original underlying heavier soil and organic matter to the surface. Ordinary farm tractors and high clearance plows may be used in plowing under deposits up to six inches (15 em) in depth. Five or six inches (12.5-15 em) of original ground should be brought to the surface. For incorporating sediment deposits having depths greater than 9 inches (23 em), special plows are needed. Moldboard and disk plows which will operate to a depth of 16 to 20 inches (40.5-61 em) are sometimes available from implement companies. For depths greater than 20 inches (40.5 em), it will probably be necessary to engage the services of a contractor having the proper equipment. After plowing and leveling, a smoothing operation with a spring tooth harrow or other equipment will help mix the soils to provide a more uniform surface soil. Have soil tested to determine the kind and amount of fertilizer needed. Nitrogen especially may be required. The application of fertilizer will be helpful in establishing a vegetative cover quickly. Take care to keep vehicle traffic across fields to a minimum to decrease soil compaction and future water penetration problems. Contact your county extension agent fqr,Nrther information. : ~. ~ + The Cooperative Extension S erv ice provides informat ion and educational p rogr ams t o a ll p eople witho ut regard t o race , co lor or nati on a I origi n . Extension work in "Agriculture, Home Economics and Subjects relating thereto," The Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Agriculture and Natura I Resources, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Cooperating with the Counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Leo E. Lucas, Director 

CC23 Revised 1979  Emergency Flood Information...Improvement of Flood Damaged Cropland

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University of Nebraska - Lincoln
DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-
Lincoln Extension Extension
1979
CC23 Revised 1979 Emergency Flood
Information...Improvement of Flood Damaged
Cropland
Elbert C. Dickey
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, edickey1@unl.edu
Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Extension at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for
inclusion in Historical Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of
Nebraska - Lincoln.
Dickey, Elbert C., "CC23 Revised 1979 Emergency Flood Information...Improvement of Flood Damaged Cropland" (1979). Historical
Materials from University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension. 3012.
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/extensionhist/3012
uruv. OF NEBRASKA 
LINCOlN LIP~LH? • f. ~ 
~031988 
STACKS cc 23 (Revised 1979) 
BDJergeaey Flood 
lalorDJalioa 
IMPROVEMENT OF FLOOD DAMAGED CROPLAND 
By Elbert C. Dickey, Extension Agricultural Engineer 
Flooded cropland almost always needs some work to restore its original productivity. Listed below are 
the operations, in logical order, needed to do this quickly: 
1. Repair or rebuild dikes or levees. 
2. Open mouths of tributary waterways or streams that are clogged with silt, sand and debris. 
3. Clean out farm ditches and drains where needed to remove excess moisture from the soil. Work up 
from the lower end. 
4. Clear tile drain outlets and check to see that drains are operating properly. Rebuild or repair any 
damaged outlet headwalls. Obstructions in line can frequently be located by holes in the ground over the 
tile. Standing water over a tile line indicates that it is not operating satisfactorily. In making repairs, work 
upward from the outlet. 
5. Remove excess water as quickly as possible. With approval of proper authorities, excavate through 
embankments to drainage ways to remove water by gravity. If water in drainage way is higher than that in 
field to be drained, install portable pumps on dike or ditch bank. To determine the number and sizes of 
pumps needed to drain an area, estimate the acreage covered and average depth of water. 
A 25-acre field covered with water averaging three (3) feet deep contains 75 acre-feet of water. 
A pump discharging 1350 gallons per minute or 3 cubic feet per second (450 gpm = 1 cubic foot per 
second), will remove 6 acre feet in 24 hours, or 75 acre-feet in about 12 1/2 days. Five such pumps would 
remove 75 acre-feet in 2 1/2 days. 
6. Land leveling may be needed to smooth rough areas, to spread deposits of sand or silt, and to fill 
holes scoured out by flood waters. 
For minor leveling and smoothing, a float or drag may be used. To do best work, the drag should be 
comparatively long-at least three times its width. 
For heavy leveling, filling ditches and holes, and spreading sand and silt deposits, bulldozers and graders 
can be used. Where available, large crawler tractors and carry-alls will probably be the most economical. 
7. Treat each field as needed. A competent soils expert can help in determining the type and extent of 
special practices needed. Usually sediment, silt and sand deposits can be plowed under. This will bring the 
original underlying heavier soil and organic matter to the surface. 
Ordinary farm tractors and high clearance plows may be used in plowing under deposits up to six inches 
(15 em) in depth. Five or six inches (12.5-15 em) of original ground should be brought to the surface. For 
incorporating sediment deposits having depths greater than 9 inches (23 em), special plows are needed. 
Moldboard and disk plows which will operate to a depth of 16 to 20 inches (40.5-61 em) are sometimes 
available from implement companies. 
For depths greater than 20 inches (40.5 em), it will probably be necessary to engage the services of a 
contractor having the proper equipment. After plowing and leveling, a smoothing operation with a spring 
tooth harrow or other equipment will help mix the soils to provide a more uniform surface soil. 
Have soil tested to determine the kind and amount of fertilizer needed. Nitrogen especially may be 
required. The application of fertilizer will be helpful in establishing a vegetative cover quickly. 
Take care to keep vehicle traffic across fields to a minimum to decrease soil compaction and future 
water penetration problems. 
Contact your county extension agent fqr,Nrther information. 
: ~. ~ 
+ 
The Cooperative Extension S erv ice provides informat ion 
and educational p rogr ams t o a ll p eople witho ut regard 
t o race , co lor or nati on a I origi n . 
Extension work in "Agriculture, Home Economics and Subjects relating thereto," 
The Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Agriculture and Natura I 
Resources, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Cooperating with the 
Counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
Leo E. Lucas, Director 


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CC23 Revised 1979 Emergency Flood Information...Improvement of Flood Damaged Cropland

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