Roadside ditches

How does this research relate to ditch management?

Cornell scientists plan to use research findings to develop recommendations for optimum ditch management practices. Highway departments commonly scrape ditches, clearing vegetation and leaving bare soil that erodes easily. As stormwater flows through these ditches, it picks up and carries extra sediment and nutrients into streams and lakes.

In terms of water quantity and quality, the worst ditches are those lined with concrete or scaped to bare dirt:

Better ditches are lined with rocks or plants:

Hydroseeding helps vegetation to grow in ditches:

How can you participate in the ditch project?

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