•
Be certain to install pressure fittings instead of lighter-weight drain fittings. Bell-end pipes speed the gluing process and reduce the number of joints and fittings. • Pressure test systems for leaks before covering pipes. • To avoid cracking pipes, always cover pipes by hand with at least six inches of soil before mechanically backfilling with rocky or chunky soil. • Seed disturbed areas after grading the pipelines. The trenches will settle for a couple of years, and may need additional grading or fill. However, established grass will usually withstand moderate grading. • Pipelines shouldn’t freeze under good stands of grass, but they might freeze under lanes or gates. Consider putting foot-wide pieces of ground-contact foam over pipes in those areas before filling the trenches. The foam traps heat coming from underneath, and helps keep pipes from freezing.
Stream Crossings
Crossing streams with pipelines may be relatively simple, depending on width, depth, drainage area and, especially, composition of the streambeds. Selecting stable portions of streams is important, and pipeline alignment might need to be changed from a preferred location in order to accommodate this. Construct stream crossings first, then bring the rest of the pipelines to the crossings. Cross gravel or earth bottom streams at right angles, and dig to the maximum depth possible. Freezing probably won’t be a problem, but use burst-proof pipe if the possibility of freezing exists. Crossing solid-rock-bottom streams is another proposition. Think carefully about site selection and installation methods. One method which has worked is to jack hammer trenches across the streams’ rock bottoms. Trenches one-foot deep and as wide as a backhoe bucket have been suc-
Water Gaps (Flood Gates)
Watering Systems for Serious Graziers
31