Conservation Drainage in the Middle Fork Crow River Watershed

Conservation or Managed drainage refers to efforts made to modify traditional tile drainage designs to operate more effectively. This conservation drainage project, located in Kandiyohi County, is a win-win solution to common trade offs in crop production. Draining fields in the spring and fall enables crops to be planted and harvested, but draining fields throughout the growing season can take water away from crops when they need it. Subsurface drainage can also adversely impact water quality by carrying nitrate and soluble phosphorus into downstream water bodies.
The system installed with this grant contains a water control structure that allows for manipulation of the water table in the affected part of the field. The structure holds back water in the drainage tile and soil profile, except in the spring and fall when more drainage is needed. This project builds off of recent legacy funded research and provides producers in the Middle Fork Crow River watershed with an opportunity to learn about the benefits of drainage water management by seeing the system in action.