yep county drainage ditches and natural drainages,they also drive a cat along bank cleaning out log Jams and sand buildup on the banks of certain river areas.100 ft of 5/8 cable with a slip loop,tyed to logs in river ,pull out.i found 65 ft of cable they left at my deer hunting spot.

Not sure what laws/regs are on natural drainage, doesn't seem like they could do what you describe in first post. As far as county ditches, they were built with land assessments, and are maintained by assessments. They are man made for a certain purpose and it isn't habitat.

What I was referring to, are the ditches that once ran throw fields, that probably at one time were natural drainage. In my part of the country that was probably 200 years ago or more. Most were left as ditches until probably the 60s, then then started laying drain tiles and then the black plastic pipe with the holes in it. Then they backed filled it with dirt and now plow over it and plant it. Before they had the equipment to do this destruction there were ditches maybe 4 to 6 feet deep and 15 to 20 feet wide when you included the berm or grasses and small brush. These also provided great cover for other small animals ground nesting birds. I know this to be fact and the one farm I trapped the ditch which was about 3/4 mile long. Most all of these ditches then emptied into a roadside ditch or creek or river. All gone now.

Garry-

Last i knew it only cost 800 per government killed coyote. Wonder why owls cost more?