NOTRA was contracted by the RCMP to investigate and determine effective, environmentally acceptable methods of draining surface water from horse paddocks and farmstead areas of their horse breeding facility near Pakenham and at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa where training for the “Musical Ride” takes place.
Poor drainage results in muddy conditions that are difficult to work in and are considered undesirable and unhealthy for the livestock. Flat topography and clay soils in the area combined to make drainage even more of a challenge.
The main considerations in designing a tile drainage system able to withstand the trampling of horses, while at the same time having rapid drainage characteristics, were presented.
Several options were recommended for improving drainage and eliminating the muddy conditions within the paddocks during wet periods. These included:
Installing eave trough on barns and nearby buildings;
Installing a dedicated drain to convey roof runoff from the eave trough to a local Creek;
Installing field drainage tile;
Constructing grassed waterways alongside and/or between the paddocks to convey paddock surface runoff to a local Creek and removing pollutants from the water before it reaches the creek;
Constructing sedimentation basins to intercept flow between paddocks and grassed waterways;
Re-grading the paddocks to direct surface runoff to sedimentation basins; and
Protecting the clay soil within the paddocks by the use of an ample covering of shredded/chipped bark.
