A spray drain is an early form of subsurface field drainage constructed by digging a trench and laying down bundles of brushwood or small tree branches before backfilling with soil. The irregular gaps between the branches create a porous channel that allows groundwater to flow away from the root zone. Though largely replaced by perforated plastic tiling, the technique is still referenced in traditional land management.
Heard on the job
The back field used to flood every spring until my grandfather put in a network of spray drains using alder branches.
Also heard as
- brush drain