A site-specific geotechnical study of forest drainage ditches in Finland

Abstract

In undertaking a forest drainage study near Kemijarvi, Finland, a ditch spacing of 20 metres was proven to be optimal. The water table fluctuation in the soil during one summer was measured across 20, 40, and 60 metre ditch spacings where the ditch excavation was carried out at the beginning of the summer. The soil located at the study site was a eutrophic sphagnum-sedge peat approximately 4.0 metres in depth and the peatland was characterized as a pine bog. Graphical and tabular representations of the raw and compiled data are included as are recommendations for further study.