Ditch (infrastructure)

The ditches are linear structures dug for to drain, collect or make circulate water.

A ditch very extended to the very soft inclined banks is called Noue. Ditches of long, broad and major drainages are known as Wateringue S or Watergang in the Polder S and old Wetlands of the north of France and in the Flemish countries.

Art of warfare

Ditches can be trenches intended to block the progression of an enemy army (Ex: Anti-tank ditch). Their vocation is then without relationship with water. In many fortifications Vauban, the ditches without water are known as " ditch sec" , any time a trench “Gutter”, dug in the axis of the ditch, was used with the water run-off as rain and made it possible to drain the ditch.

The ditch also makes it possible to prevent that the enemy is directly in contact with the fortifications. The Château of Brézé in is an good example with the deepest ditches of Europe.

The ditches filled with water permanently are, them, called ditches.

Environment

The ditches have many direct impacts or indirect on the environment and the landscape. Their function of drainage results lowering the ceiling of the surface tablecloth and in modifying the vegetation and the natural landscape. They can then attenuate or increase the risk of Inondation S and Sécheresse (according to their position and linear in the catchment area). When they are not enherbés or are not stabilized by the roots of hedges, they can be eroded by water and contribute to the phenomena of erosion upstream, and Eutrophisation and increase in the Turbidité of water downstream.

They can be polluted by the Waste water and drainage or surface waters (Engrai S, Pesticide S, Cadmium brought with manures, etc) which they collect. The ditches vegetalized and bordered of hedges can to a certain extent to play a natural part of “ lagunage ”. The roselières who push there can be cleared out, which contributes to their deseutrophisation, while taking care not to program these operations out of the periods of nesting or reproduction.

When they are “clean” , the ditches have an important function écopaysagère of biological Corridors. They can make the object of an ecological management and thus differentiated

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