Greensprings Drainage Ditches

Low-lying uplands and wetlands are capable of storing large quantities of stormwater. However, this valuable ecosystem service can cause flooding in nearby neighborhoods perched too close to poorly drained soils. Ditching areas for irrigation or drainage is an engineering practice that has been going on since the dawn of civilization. There are numerous ditches in this area; some are remnant fence structures used to keep hogs from burrowing; others were used to demarcate property boundaries. This ditch predates the Chesapeake Bay Ordinance and is helpful in draining water away from a local neighborhood.