Jane trudged through a lemon grove

[alpacinou]

Is this correct and natural?

Jane trudged through a lemon grove which after a while gave way to a vast, scrubby land. A dirt road cut through the land, paralleled by a channel. A putrid smell wafted in the air. Wrinkling her nose, Jane realized the channel carried sewage. As she walked on, the wind picked up, carrying the stench of human waste in her direction, stinging her nose.

 

[Tarheel]

It seems to me that you are talking about a drainage ditch.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Or irrigation ditch.

We can't be sure what "channel" means there without more information.