Do it Right the First Time

#bfrdpwy #aginternship #RightRisk

This week I learned doing it right the first time always ends up being better in the end. We worked on irrigation ditches and head gates to create a more efficient way of directing water. The plan was to get dirt dredged from the main canal and get manure from the corrals to build up our head gate site. After installing culverts and putting dirt to hold them in place, we turned the water on to see how the culverts would work. When the water was turned on, the dirt around the culverts began to wash under and around the culverts because the dirt had not yet settled. Because of this, we used scrap lumber to construct frames around the culverts so that the unstable dirt wouldn’t be disrupted. However, this didn’t fix our problem completely. This stopped the water from flowing beneath, but it didn’t stop the water from flowing around the culvert.

What we needed to do from the beginning was put dirt and manure on the culverts, pack it, and let it settle for a couple of days and then build wooden frames around the culverts to make it easier direct water. Next, we should have place sod and rocks around the location to stabilize it and then turn on the water. This would have worked better because we would have spent less time turning water on and off and fixing mistakes. It would have been better to take more time to make sure the dirt and ditches were properly constructed.

I attended a meeting between the forest service and BLM with the boss of my host site. At this meeting, they discussed a variety of things. However, I have questions about if spraying sage brush is the best way to get rid of it or if there is a more natural way. Also, what is the root issue of sage brush and tree encroachment on forest service and BLM land? How has the land been mismanaged to lead to sage brush and tree encroachment?

I plan to put the time in to troubleshoot possible failed outcomes and create a more foolproof plan to cut down on time spent coming back and fixing the issues I could have though out beforehand. This will help me better manage my future time so I can complete more tasks efficiently, without going back to fix mistakes.

Submitted by: Titus Schadegg
Edited by: GrowinG Internship Team