Economical Floodgate
You don't have to invest in expensive floodgates to keep water from backflowing into field drainpipes. David Smith of Starkville, Miss., devised a simple system using two T-posts, some barbed wire and a steel plate. He drives the T-posts into the ground about 2 to 3 inches downstream from the end of the pipe. He hangs the steel plate (aluminum works, too) from two strands of barbed wire so it can swing a little. Pressure from high water pushes the plate, which must be a few inches wider than the pipe's diameter, against the opening to prevent water from flowing back into the drain. When water is running out the drain, it easily pushes the plate out of the way.

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