A Word About Ditches

For Us, Clear Ditches Is One Of Our Passions!

FFPU volunteers clearing ditches on Segelsen Road, FSR #18

Keeping ditches clear so water flows to designated areas is an ongoing struggle for the volunteers of FFPU. Most of the forest roads have not had contractors and equipment to clear ditches for many years. Most of the bigger FFPU ditch and catch basin clearing happens with work parties which we pick a designated stretch of road to work on. Then we car pool to the location, zero our odometers to coincide with the mile by mile reports we turn in to the forest service so they know where and what we have worked on. We drive the roads looking for debris blocking ditches such as rocks, branches, logs or just filled in by some sort of erosion. For small problems one rig will pull over and fix that stretch of ditch, then off to go look for the next problem. If we pass a party that is working on a large problem we pull over and lend a hand otherwise we will continue to the next problem. We refer to this as "Leapfrogging".

Rover Brian checking the roads during the wet season

During the wet season set out to be rovers driving the forest roads looking for problems, fixing what we can or calling a work party. The Rovers are the eyes on the forest roads and they become familiar with the drainage and repeated problems. In many ways it is the rover and forest road adopters that save most of our forest roads from damage.

When a job is too big for a ditch problem we call a work party and get the water flowing where it needs to go. It can be hard work but there is a sense a accomplishment when you see the results and that you just reversed serious forest road damage. Saving a forest road could hours of work digging out a ditch or as simple as moving a log laying across a ditch restricting drainage to a culvert. All public needs to take some action and a sense of ownership to their forest roads providing valuable access. See something do something! Consider becoming a "Friend" For Public Use!

Photos by Martha Rasmussen