Waterlogging - An Opportunity?

[all0tment]

Hi

Weve just got an allotment on a site where the drainage isnt very good, the ground is waterlogged. I was thinking .. There isnt a water supply nearby so - Could this be an opportunity?

If we dug some drains could we drain all the water to one end of the land, collect it in a ditch then harvest as much water as we need into a well / water butts? Im sure we would have too much water and need to create a run off but it even seems after some looking around it would be possible to clarify with a catchpit?

Anyone heard of, done it or seen this kind of thing?

Thanks

[Newton]

Get a tap!

[Aberdeenplotter]

If the waterlogging problem is that bad, get your drains dug and the water channelled off your allotment otherwise your plants will quite simply drown if their roots are permanently in waterlogged soil

[taff]

in theory, ti could work, otherwsie people wouldn't make soakaways. In practice, you'll need to ensure your soak area is stable, if you're planning a ditch of some kind, so the walss of it don't keep falling in, or you could go down a gravel pit, with a central hole [maybe with a barrel with holes in it for example, to centrally collect the water]. It'd have to be a big collection point to make it worth your while, and have adequate filtration to prevent it getting blocked, maybe also a pump if you didn't want to be bending down to fill a bucket etc all the time.

[vicky]

I'd be more inclined to create a pond for wildlife but prehaps also to bucket out water if needed. I'm sure there'll be some health & safety issues for you to deal with if it's a large communual thing...

[Potstubsdustbins]

A line of clay land drains down to a wild life pond might help.

But I think AP as hit the nail on the head it not so much about collecting water to use, but getting rid of it of your lottie.

Colin