Water Control Structures

Constructing water control structures when necessary is the next best way to ensure that erosion from the road system and resulting sedimentation into streams and lakes will be minimized. There are several types of water control structures. Each type has advantages and disadvantages. Your experience, as well as your knowledge of the tract will help you determine which structures may work best for a given situation.

Some of the site characteristics that may affect your decision of which types of structures to use may include but are not limited to the following:

  • soil type,
  • topography,
  • drainage patterns, and
  • presence of any streams.

Understanding soil type is very important in deciding which structure to install. For example, installing and maintaining waterbars on sandy soils can be very difficult.  Some soil types (such as gumbo) may not even be able to support your equipment without significant damage to the soil.  Carefully considering drainage patterns will help identify where water control structures will be needed to allow water to flow naturally across the tract which can go a long way in saving time and money when it comes to installing and maintaining water control structures.