What is Ditch?
:''For use of the ditch as obstacles for horses, see [[ditch (obstacle)]]'' [[File:Ditch in the Netherlands.jpg|thumb|left|140px|Ditch for drainage in Netherlands]] [[File:Entwässerungskanal.JPG|thumb|Ditch for drainage in northern Germany]] A '''ditch''' is created to channel [[water]] and can be described as a small or moderate depression. A ditch can be used for [[drainage]], to drain water from low-lying areas, alongside roadways or fields, or to channel water from a more distant source for plant [[irrigation]]. A [[trench]] can be defined as a long narrow ditch. Ditches are commonly seen around [[farm]]land, especially in areas that have required drainage, such as [[The Fens]] in the [[United Kingdom|UK]] and the pro-water management [[The Netherlands]]. Roadside ditches can provide a hazard to motorists, especially in poor weather conditions. == Fortification == [[File:Cheshire Regiment trench Somme 1916.jpg|thumb|left|180px|[[World War I]] trench works and [[shrapnel]] shelter]] [[File:UffingtonCastleDitch 2004-03-27.JPG|thumb|Ditch as obstacle at Uffington Castle, England]] In [[military engineer]]ing and [[fortification]], a distinction is made between a ditch and a [[trench]]. A ditch is a [[wikt:barrier|barrier]], designed to slow down or break up an attacking force, while a trench is a [[cover (combat technique)|cover]], intended to provide protection to the defenders. In [[Medieval]] [[fortification]], a ditch was often constructed in front of a [[defensive wall]]. When filled with water, such a defensive ditch is called a [[moat]]. Today ditches are of no importance as an obstacle for persons, but are still often used as anti-vehicle obstacles. <!-- Waterway for irrigation, industry, water service and others. (Ditch to water supply.) --> {{wikt}} [[Category:Landforms]] [[Category:War]]