Water bars are a cheap and easy way to protect your trails from erosion. These dirt berms deflect the water your trails collect into undisturbed forest soil where it can percolate into the ground. Water bars prevent water from collecting in large volumes as it travels along your trails. They also prevent this large volume of water from picking up speed as it travels down hill. Volume + velocity = the potential for erosion. Large volumes of water traveling at high speeds can do irreparable damage to your trails before you even know you have a problem. You can make water bars with a pick and shovel or you can make sure your logger installs them with a bulldozer after a harvest. Water bars work equally well to protect your hiking,
ATV, horseback riding or logging trails. Whichever trail you're protecting make sure to clean them out every year so they continue to deflect water.
ATV, horseback riding or logging trails. Whichever trail you're protecting make sure to clean them out every year so they continue to deflect water.
I'm responsible for educating landowners and loggers about water quality. Over the years, I developed a mnemonic device for remembering the 5 components of an effective "water bar"... or rather a "WADDA" bar:
W - Width: make sure the soil berm is the full width of the trail
A - Angle: the soil berm should be angled slightly across the trail so water hitting it will slow down and be diverted off trail.
D- Depth: establish a trough that will capture water flow on the trail. If the water bar is too shallow, it will not be effective beyond the first couple rainstorms.
D - "Dig It": the trough of a water bar functions best when it is dug into the subsoil or soil hardpan of the trail.
A - Anticipate the use: ask landowners how they use their trails (pickup truck, atv, etc) and make water bar design changes to accommodate.
W - Width: make sure the soil berm is the full width of the trail
A - Angle: the soil berm should be angled slightly across the trail so water hitting it will slow down and be diverted off trail.
D- Depth: establish a trough that will capture water flow on the trail. If the water bar is too shallow, it will not be effective beyond the first couple rainstorms.
D - "Dig It": the trough of a water bar functions best when it is dug into the subsoil or soil hardpan of the trail.
A - Anticipate the use: ask landowners how they use their trails (pickup truck, atv, etc) and make water bar design changes to accommodate.
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