Planning an Agricultural Subsurface Drainage System

Document
Description
Many soils in Minnesota and throughout the world would remain wet for several days after a rain without adequate drainage, preventing timely fieldwork, and causing stress on growing crops. Saturated soils do not provide sufficient aeration for crop root development, and can be an important source of plant stress. That's why artificial drainage of poorly draining soils has become integral to maintaining a profitable crop production system. Some of the world's most productive soils are drained, including 25 percent of the farmland in the United States and Canada. Planning an effective drainage system takes time and requires consideration of a number of factors, including: • Local, state, and federal regulations • Soil information • Wetland impact • Adequacy of system outlet • Field elevation, slope (grade), and topography assessment • Economic feasibility • Present and future cropping strategies • Environmental impacts associated with drainage discharge • Easements and right-of-ways • Quality of the installation The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Security Act and the farm bills of 1985, 1990, and 1996 created many special wetlands restrictions and mandates that all drainage projects, including upgrades, must follow. It's also very important that the landowner, system designer, and contractor understand other applicable federal laws, as well as the local watershed and state laws dealing with drainage. People considering installation of a drainage system should also know their rights and responsibilities concerning the removal of water from land and its transfer to other land. So the first steps of any installation project should always include visits to the offices of the Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the local watershed administrative unit. While developing a drainage plan and specifications, it's useful to consult a number of information sources. These include county soil and site topography surveys, the Minnesota Drainage Guide1, local drainage experts, Farm Service Agency aerial photos, and ditch and downstream water management authorities. It's also a good idea to do some surface and subsurface evaluation of a field.
Date Issued
2001
Number of Pages
8
Decade
Associated Organization
Publisher
University of Minnesota Extension (St. Paul, Minnesota)
Rights Holder
Minnesota Water Research Digital Library
Rights Management
Creative Commons