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Conservation Engineering and Technical Assistance
Rural Drainage Projects in Ohio
How is the Division involved with rural drainage in Ohio?
The Division of Soil and Water Resources assists Ohio’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts and County Engineers implement rural drainage systems throughout Ohio. These “systems” include networks of tile (clay until 1960, now usually plastic) and open drainageways (ditches) that receive water from individual farms, home lots and small rural communities. They generally cross multiple private properties and often extend several miles to “find” an outlet. Several links and documents are shown below to assist with understanding the basics of how rural drainage systems function in Ohio.
Rural Drainage Report and Drainage Survey
In 2006, the Division of Soil and Water Resources in cooperation with the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Districts formed a broad based advisory committee, Rural Drainage Task Force, to better support construction of drainage systems and achieve a high level of environmental stewardship with drainage projects. This committee reached consensus on a set of recommendations that are summarized in the Rural Drainage Report (812 KB pdf) and Drainage Survey (864 KB pdf).
Rural Drainage Manual
As a goal of the Rural Drainage Task Force, the Division of Soil and Water Resources is developing the first every Rural Drainage Manual (212 page 4.8 MB pdf) in Ohio. This manual will be a reference guide for county commissioners, county engineers, soil and water conservation districts and others implementing rural drainage programs. This manual is currently in draft state.
Conservation Works of Improvement
Chapter 1515 of Ohio Revised Code gives Soil and Water Conservation Districts the authority to construct improvement projects. These provisions are sometimes referred to as Senate Bill 160 projects. The following MS Word documents and forms provide guidance for performing this work.
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