Drainage of the suburban area. How to dry a wetland? How to clean up a wetland How to get rid of a swamp on a land

Introduction
It's no secret that the wetland is absolutely impossible to use in any way, besides, the swamp can be a source of potential threats, for example, various diseases. For these reasons, people should not settle, build structures, or establish farmland near wetlands. Also, do not forget that the swamp is a complex ecosystem and its drainage has an extremely negative effect on environment. There is a violation of all natural processes, which can lead to partial or complete death of the surrounding fauna and flora. However, the drainage of swamps also brings undoubted benefits: the lands become suitable for use, that is, construction can be carried out on this site, the soil is saturated with oxygen and mineralized due to sulfuric acid, which is obtained by oxidizing pyrite. Thus, one of the best soils for planting crops.
Drainage of swamps is usually carried out on an industrial scale, but with the problem of excessive moisture and high level groundwater is also faced by summer residents on their household plots. Drainage systems are used to eliminate problems of this kind.

There are three ways to drain swamps - closed, open and combined.

Swamps hinder development greenhouse effect. They, no less than forests, can be called the "lungs of the planet." The fact is that the reaction of the formation of organic substances from carbon dioxide and water during photosynthesis, according to its total equation, is opposite to the oxidation reaction of organic substances during respiration, and therefore, during the decomposition of organic matter, carbon dioxide, previously bound by plants, is released back into the atmosphere (mainly due to the respiration of bacteria). One of the main processes that can reduce the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is the burial of undecomposed organic matter, which happens in swamps that form deposits of peat, which then transforms into coal. (Other similar processes are the deposition of carbonates (CaCO 3) at the bottom of reservoirs and chemical reactions occurring in the earth's crust and mantle). Therefore, the practice of draining swamps, carried out in XIX-XX centuries, from the point of view of the environment is destructive.

On the other hand, swamps are one of the sources of bacterial methane (one of the greenhouse gases) in the atmosphere. In the near future, an increase in the volume of swamp methane in the atmosphere is expected due to the melting of swamps in the permafrost region.

Wetlands are natural water filters and agroecosystem orderlies.

Valuable plants grow in the swamps (blueberries, cranberries, cloudberries).

Peat is used in medicine (mud treatment), as fuel, fertilizer in agriculture, feed for farm animals, raw materials for the chemical industry.

Peat bogs serve as a source of finds for paleobiology and archeology - well-preserved remains of plants, pollen, seeds, bodies of ancient people are found in them.

For the latter, swamp ore was a source for the manufacture of iron products.

Previously, the swamp was considered a disastrous place for humans. Cattle strayed from the herd died in the swamps. Because of the bites of malarial mosquitoes, entire villages died out. Vegetation in the swamps is sparse: light green moss, small rosemary shrubs, sedge, heather. The trees in the swamps are stunted. Gnarled lonely pines, birches and thickets of alder.

People sought to drain "dead places" and use the land for fields and pastures.
^

Draining swamps: full back!

Draining swamps makes it possible to introduce vast territories into agricultural circulation, but at the same time, it sharply increases the emission of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

There are few swamps left in Germany today. And there used to be a lot. But then the idea of ​​draining them and turning them into agricultural land triumphed. Only relatively recently, environmentalists and biologists managed to convey to the general public that a huge amount of carbon has been accumulated in peatlands, which is released in the process of draining swamps and goes into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide, enhancing the greenhouse effect. Not to mention the fact that the drainage of swamps leads to the disappearance of unique biotopes with their unique flora and fauna.

Therefore, today in Germany, concepts are being actively developed for the regeneration of previously developed peatlands by re-watering them and restoring the former hydrological regime of former bogs. A number of such projects were presented at the recent annual session of the Ecological Society in Lüneburg.

^ Swamp VIP project

One of the projects is called VIP - but one should not think that we are talking about "a particularly important - or, if you like, a very eminent - person." “Nothing like that! This abbreviation means Vorpommern-Initiative Paludikultur - that is, the Western Pomeranian initiative for the reclamation of swamps. Palus means swamp in Latin,” explains Professor Michael Manthey, plant ecologist at the University of Greifswald.

As part of this project, scientists hope to find out whether swamps can serve as additional territory for the cultivation of such industrial crops, which are used as renewable energy and biomass. Indeed, today the whole world, and Germany is no exception, is experiencing an acute shortage of such resources, and experts have long puzzled over this problem. “This is a solution if the marshes are not drained. But that's the rub," says Professor Mantai.

^ Back to the starting line

The use of wetlands as hay and pasture land has been practiced for a long time, however, the peatlands are preliminarily drained, which is accompanied by the emission of a huge amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. And the artificial regeneration of swamps, that is, their secondary watering, starts the process of the formation of new peat, while carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is again absorbed and bound.

The only question is whether it is possible to continue to use the restored swamp for agricultural purposes? And if so, how? It is these questions that scientists are trying to find within the framework of the VIP project: after all, in the north-east of Germany, in the territory of Vorpommern, there are a lot of eutrophic, that is, shallow, well-warmed lowland bogs rich in nutrients and fed by groundwater.

^ Cane can also be a biofuel, ..

The idea, in fact, is to cultivate plants there that naturally prefer swampy soils. “This is, first of all, an ordinary reed,” says Professor Mantai. - It is also possible that reed canary grass is also suitable. But it can also be representatives of the forest flora, that is, trees. For example, red alder. Or mixed vegetation - say, reeds and various types of sedge.


Stems are of the greatest interest to experts. Now, in particular, research is underway to determine how suitable cane is as a raw material for biofuel production. “The current experiments are being carried out in cooperation with the Stralsund High School,” explains Prof. Mantai. “These experiments concern not only the properties that characterize the combustion of the reed, but also, say, its suitability for briquetting and granulation.”

...and an additive in building materials

However, the possibility of using marsh cereal grasses as an additive in building materials is also being considered, the scientist says: “Experiments are being made on the use of reed stems as a reinforcing filler in the production of fire-resistant wall panels for interior decoration buildings and premises by dry method.

For a long time, environmentalists have advocated the cessation of all agricultural activities in peat bogs. Now, such activities, apparently, will help restore the marshes to their original appearance and at the same time allow the production of a significant amount of valuable plant material.

^ There are still many unresolved issues

Biology professor Volkmar Wolters, president of the Ecological Society, explains: “Over the next 40 years, we will have to increase the production of plant biomass by 60% compared to the current level, otherwise we will not be able to meet the needs of mankind. If we stop destroying nature with the production of biomass, if we learn, on the contrary, to regenerate it, especially such valuable biotopes as swamps, this will become a very important contribution to the overall concept of nature conservation.”

However, with one caveat, Professor Wolters adds: “Measures must be taken to ensure that the agricultural use of swamps is not too intensive. So that fertilizers or some other chemicals that disrupt the natural development of swamps do not suddenly start to be applied to peatlands.

^ What about methane?

And we still have to deal with the problem of methane, which, as you know, in the absence of oxygen is formed biogenically in waterlogged soils - it is not for nothing that it is called swamp gas. It is necessary to compare the amount of carbon dioxide that the regenerated swamps will absorb from the atmosphere with the amount of methane that the same swamps will release into the atmosphere. It is extremely important to take into account that the greenhouse activity of methane is 21 times higher than that of carbon dioxide. And if it turns out that the climate of our planet from the regeneration of swamps, in the end, is still more harm than good, then the VIP project and all other concepts similar to it will apparently have to be buried.

What does improper drainage of swamps lead to?

Bibliography

1. 
   The Great Encyclopedia of Oil and Gas http://www.ngpedia.ru/id225514p1.html
2. 
   P. Vvedensky "Guide to draining and cultivating swamps"
3. 
   Avakyan A. B., Shirokov V. M.: Rational use of water resources: Textbook for geogr. , biol. and builds. specialist. universities - Yekaterinburg, publishing house "Victor", 1994. - 320 p.
4. 
   Karlovsky VF : The impact of land reclamation on the environment. In book. Land reclamation and environmental protection. Collection scientific papers. - Minsk, publishing house BelNIIMiVKh, 1989. 212 p.

More than 10% of the territory of Russia is occupied by swamps. We can say that this is one of the main natural indicators of the country. But whether swamps are wealth, and whether draining swamps makes sense, we will consider in this article.

Seems like a total benefit.

Russia is a huge country with a large population. And this population needs to be fed. And if the degree of waterlogging of some territories is more than 30%, where to get fertile soil for crops? This is one of the main goals of such a phenomenon as the drainage of swamps. It is known that swamps cover flat areas, most suitable for meadows and arable land. The same applies to forest areas. In wetlands, the forest practically does not grow, and if it grows, then it is impossible to use this wood, since it is difficult to extract and export it.

The second reason that justifies the drainage of forest swamps is fires. Everyone has already understood how dangerous the burning of peat becomes. A swamp is formed by overgrowing a reservoir. At first, the main vegetation is reeds and reeds, then the water stagnates and becomes covered with duckweed, sedge and cinquefoil begin to grow. The last plant has a powerful root system, and it is not so easy to remove it. Gradually, vegetation covers the entire water surface, and sphagnum mosses or, in other words, peat mosses, form on it. Peat is dry, its moisture content is no more than 2%, and therefore it is easily flammable, but under it there can be many meters of water.

Now imagine that due to someone else's, more often human, negligence, a spark falls on a peat bog, and it lights up. Fire in peat bogs is a terrible phenomenon. Firstly, peat burns in breadth and depth, because at high temperatures the water under it begins to evaporate. Secondly, it is not possible to extinguish such a fire with conventional equipment - it simply will not pass into wetlands. As a result, the process becomes uncontrollable and brings the country millions of dollars in losses.

Drainage of swamps - violation of the ecological balance

However, the drainage of swamps has negative side. Along with obtaining high-quality fuel, which is peat, expanding fertile lands and forest lands, draining forests leads to adverse environmental consequences.

The swamps are real storage clean water. The fact is that the notorious sphagnum mosses are excellent antiseptics, and, therefore, a full-fledged natural filter. Further, the drainage of swamps reduces the supply of small, and, accordingly, large rivers. Fresh water flows into the ocean and becomes salty.

Drainage of the forest leads to the death of vegetation that needs moisture. This primarily applies to conifers, berries - cloudberries, cranberries, etc. Moreover, not only the forest in the vicinity of drained swamps suffers, but also those located tens of kilometers away, since groundwater follows the principle of communicating vessels. The change in the flora of the area is accompanied by a change in the fauna. Fish, birds, invertebrates and animals, whose lives depend on dying vegetation and proximity to a reservoir, die.

Draining the forest will have irreversible consequences if you do not approach this issue wisely. It is necessary to regulate the water regime, leaving reservoirs in the upper reaches of the rivers and swampy areas in the watersheds. It is impossible to drain swamps located on sandy and sandy loamy soils, as well as those on which cranberries, cloudberries, and blueberries grow. It is important to preserve swamps, where rare species of plants, including medicinal ones, and animals grow.

What if we are talking about a suburban area?

However, if we are talking about an ordinary summer cottage in a wetland, which, after a long struggle with the leadership of the district, a lot of spent money and nerves, gets into your use, it’s even ridiculous to talk about the dangers of drainage. It is unlikely that the ecosystem will be significantly damaged if you drain your 6-10 acres. Especially if you do not plan to make cloudberries the main garden crop.

It is well known that the wetlands are unpromising: it is impossible to grow or build anything on it, it can cause flooding of cellars or gardens located in the neighborhood, and, in addition, often becomes a breeding ground for various diseases.
Therefore, marshy areas have long been deserted, and now people are trying not to build anything near such territories.
In addition, a swamp is a complex ecosystem, and its drainage negatively affects the environment, because the natural processes occurring in this place are disrupted, plants and animals die.

Modern rates of drainage of swamps

Despite this, the drainage of swamps is beneficial to man, so he is actively engaged in this. On drained lands, crops can be grown, they are saturated with oxygen and mineralized due to sulfuric acid resulting from the oxidation of pyrite. Any agricultural crops take root and grow well on enriched soil. Construction can also be carried out on drained lands.

In fact, the reclamation of marshy lands is carried out in several main areas:
extraction of peat and other minerals;
land preparation for Agriculture;
beautification of park areas, construction of football and golf fields;

construction dewatering before the start of excavation for the arrangement of foundations and engineering networks;
restoration of territories subjected to industrial swamping, which occurred during the construction of roads, embankments, etc.;
improvement of private construction sites and adjacent territories.

Drainage of marshes is usually carried out on a large industrial scale. A completely different situation is when people face the problem of waterlogging of the soil in their personal plots. This is where modern drainage systems come to the rescue, represented by various types of pipes, wells and other necessary equipment.

Types of drainage systems used to drain swamps

Three methods have been developed and are actively used for draining swamps: open, closed and combined.

open way- this is nothing more than a network of canals diverting excess ground and surface water from the developed area. Depending on the requirements for the territory, drainage trenches can be located:
along the perimeter - used for areas for building or landscape improvement;
over the entire surface - the main purpose: mining.
The open method is quite simple, but ineffective in winter and adjacent periods of the year. It is also necessary to understand that effective work the entire complex of channels requires a large volume earthworks, primarily related to excavation and slope improvement. The depth of the drainage trench must exceed the required level of dewatering by at least 1.5 meters.
Important note: roadside ditches are not a drainage system, their main purpose is to divert storm and flood waters.

Provides more options indoor drainage, the functionality of which is not limited to the seasons.
Closed way much more difficult and requires special equipment, while the main advantage is the almost 100% guarantee of drainage of both the surface and the entire soil layer above the drainage pipelines. For this reason, underground drainage is used in almost all facilities where reliable and constant drainage is required, regardless of the amount of precipitation or the season.
In the middle of the last century, pipes were made of cement, asbestos, ceramics or cast iron, but the development of technology has gradually made its own adjustments.
Currently, the best and most relevant material for drainage pipes is polypropylene and polyethylene. Corrugated plastic drainage pipes of different diameters are remarkable in their properties, with and without additional protection from geotextiles.
Usually, for a device drainage system single-walled or double-walled pipes are used, in which the outer layer is corrugated, and the inner one is smooth.

The very first step in any system is design.
When drawing up the project, such factors as the features of the relief, the scope of work, hydrological studies, the vertical layout of the site and the composition of the soil are taken into account. It is very important not to make a mistake with the choice of drainage pipes used, which primarily differ:
material - it can be like polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene (HDPE), polypropylene (PP) or classic concrete;
wall construction - single-walled with internal corrugated surface or double-walled corrugated outside and smooth inside;
type of delivery - pipes are supplied both in segments and bays;
ring stiffness class - from SN2 to SN16.

Important steps in the construction of a drainage system

After the approval of the project, you can proceed to the first stage of work - digging a trench for drains. The width of the trench is determined as follows: the diameter of the pipe plus 20-40 cm. The depth is determined depending on the diameter of the pipe, the expected result and the purposes for which the drained area will be used. So, trees require a maximum level of laying pipes no more than one and a half meters, shrubs - no more than 50-60 cm, lawn grass- no more than 20 cm. The deeper the drains are, the less moisture comes to the surface of the earth. The choice of the diameter of the drains is also important. The optimal diameter is 110mm, this size reduces the cost of installing the system.

The degree of slope depends on the diameter of the pipe: the larger the slope, the smaller the diameter. This relationship is due to the fact that the throughput of the pipe becomes greater as the diameter increases. How less water located in the pipe, the more difficult it is for it to flow down the line. The minimum allowable slope for pipes (no matter what diameter) is at least 3 degrees. The average slope is 2-3 cm for every 10 m of pipe. Too much slope can cause gullies around the pipes, so you should be extremely careful when calculating.

So, the trench is ready. Next stage- laying of drainage pipes. First, a layer of sand is laid on the bottom of the trench, a layer of rubble is laid on it, then a pipe is laid. From above, the drain is filled up in the reverse order: first with rubble, then with sand. A layer of soil is poured over the sand, and, last but not least, a layer of turf. The arrangement of the layers should remain unchanged, since each of them plays a specific role. Due to the change in the order of layers of sand and gravel, the pipe may become unusable. Pipes must be laid at a depth that does not freeze during the cold season.

The network of drains is discharged into a natural reservoir or an artificial water collector. From the latter, it is subsequently pumped out by pumps or seeps into the lower layers of the soil if a filter is installed at the bottom of the water collector.

If there are already buildings on the site, drainage should be laid at a distance of 0.5-1 m from the foundation.

The combined method of installing a drainage system is especially common in summer cottages and cottage areas. In fact, he is the most best method to drain the soil and further regulate the level of moisture in it.

As a result of climatic changes or an increase in the level of groundwater, there is a flooding or waterlogging of the land. There are several methods on how to drain a swamp in a summer cottage. As a result of such work, in a very small area, the violation of the ecological balance is reduced to zero, so the question of whether it is necessary to drain the swamp on your site is not worth it.

Those arguments why it is impossible to drain the swamps do not stand up to scrutiny. On your land, this is simply necessary. Of course, this is a laborious and costly process, but nothing is impossible. The work begins with geological and geodetic studies of the soil, which will give an opinion on the causes of waterlogging, methods of drainage and whether it is necessary to drain the swamp in this particular place.

Methods for draining a wetland

An effective drainage system will allow you to divert excess water from the land and install required level moisture for successful farming. There are three main methods of dewatering a site, and each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.

1. The open method consists in laying network channels along the site. Ordinary and gross channels are interconnected and looped on the main channel. The central main canal plays the main role of a drainage system and leads to a water intake outside the site.
2. The closed method consists in laying a drainage system. Such work requires proper planning and ramping; for the drainage system, cast iron, asbestos or plastic pipes. Now they produce plastic corrugated pipes with geotextile windings of different diameters.
3. The combined method combines the first two and is very popular in summer cottages. Waterlogging can be facilitated by dense clay soils. In such cases, it is possible to sample the heavy soil down to the water table and make a bulk area of ​​loose soil of a suitable composition.
4. There are other non-standard methods for solving this problem. You can completely choose heavy soil and fill the place with fertile soil. If you are not interested in agriculture, then by deepening the wetland, you can create an artificial lake.

Preparatory work and open method of draining the wetland

What method of draining the swamp is suitable for your site can only be said after finding out the causes of waterlogging. For this, a study of the site in the swamp is carried out. Soil samples are taken, the level of groundwater, the direction of flow along the soil layers and the lowest point of the relief are established.

1. As a result of surveys by the geological and geodetic service, you should get a three-dimensional plan of the site and have a clear idea of ​​​​the direction of movement and the depth of groundwater. Outside the wetland, determine a location for a drainage well. It should be located at the lowest point and of sufficient depth.
2. For the middle section, a well with a diameter of about a meter is suitable. It digs or drills down to groundwater. The bottom is covered with rubble, with a thickness of 30 cm to half a meter. Walls can be strengthened brickwork or stacked concrete pipes of the appropriate diameter. Can also be arranged in the lowest current suburban area artificial reservoir, and the collected water is used for irrigation of the site.
3. From the well, draw a straight line to the highest point of the land. The main trench for water flow will run along it. For a moderately swampy area, a trench 50x75 cm can be suitable, the bottom of which is covered 5–10 cm with a mixture of sand and gravel and is well rammed. The walls of the trench can also be reinforced with brickwork or pick up improvised materials. For example: cutting boards, sheet metal or slate and fix them along the walls of the trench with stakes. The slope from the top of the trench to the bottom - the place where the drainage trench drains into the well should be 25 ° - 30 °.
4. Perpendicular ditches make them less deep and do not particularly strengthen. Depending on the state of swampiness, they can be deepened, expanded and new ones added. All side ditches converge to the central trench at a slope. The less water in the area, the more difficult it is for her to leave. Therefore, ditches must be periodically cleaned and deepened.

Hidden drainage systems for draining swampy soil

Drains are special pipes for draining a swampy land. Up to 50% of the top of the pipe is covered with holes for water to enter. Openings are equipped with mesh filters, or winding with geotextile fabric is made to prevent backfilling and clogging of drainage pipes.

1. Pipes are used in different diameters and materials. Of the novelties, there are corrugated pipes that have the ability to conform to relief contours and have smooth inner surfaces. Concrete, asbestos, plastic and other pipes of suitable diameter are also used. Holes can be drilled in such pipes on their own, and mesh filters sticking on waterproof silicone is not difficult.
2. In accordance with the three-dimensional plan, trenches come off. The central line is being laid, as deep as possible with an optimal slope within 30 ° and a pipe diameter of 100 to 150 mm. Radial and perpendicular bends, with a pipe diameter of 50 - 75 mm or up to an inch and a half, are looped onto the main pipe.
3. A trench measuring 50x100 cm is pre-filled with a sand-gravel mixture and well rammed. Hexotextile is laid, drainage pipes are laid, the space is covered with crushed stone and covered with hexotextile fabric. The trench is filled with fertile soil.

Combined drainage systems and non-standard methods for draining swamps

The third method - combined is to combine the first two methods of draining swamps. Most often, this method is used in suburban areas.

1. As a rule, the main central route is made underground - the main drainage pipe is laid, into which excess water flows through the ditches. Installation and installation technology drainage pipe standard. The supply of sewage ditches is described above in the paragraph on the open method of draining groundwater when the land is swamped.
2. Heavy and clayey soils often cause a swamp on the site. A radical and effective method for solving this problem is to remove clay soil. In the designated area, the loamy rock is removed to the groundwater horizon. The bottom of the excavated pit is covered with sand and gravel, rammed in order to serve as drainage in the future.
3. The question of how to fill the swamp on the site depends on what you are going to grow on it. Dense and fatty chernozems can be diluted with peat mixtures or calcium sands. Fruit trees do not grow well on waterlogged soils, so pick up moisture-loving shrubs or gourds.

The original method of eliminating the swamp on the site will be to transform it into an artificial pond. It is only required to deepen the territory, strengthen the shores of the artificial lake and ennoble the surrounding area. Moisture-loving weeping willows, fern, shadberry, hawthorn or Amur lilac will look beautiful along the banks. Tables and benches will complement the cozy natural corner. For perfect harmony, you can turn to specialists in landscape design.