Reference articles on history, science, culture and more
Encyclopedia

Bar ditch

Roadside channel dug for drainage purposes

A bar or borrow ditch is a roadside channel dug for drainage purposes. Typically, the dirt is "borrowed" from the ditch, and used to crown the road. It is a variation of a bar or borrow pit, in construction, when dirt is removed and used for construction purposes, and later left to fill with water, forming ponds or lakes. If the ditch is adjacent to pasturage, it also confines livestock, keeping them from straying onto the road. The term is most often used in the Southwestern United States.

Watch videos about Bar ditchExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Bar ditch, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.