Transforming Drainage – Managing Water for Tomorrow's Agriculture

Our multistate project "Managing Water for Increased Resiliency of Drained Agricultural Landscapes", also known as "Transforming Drainage", is a collaborative effort aimed at addressing important drainage management questions through the assessment and development of new water storage practices and technologies. Drainage is an essential component of the landscape to provide suitable growing conditions for the crops that feed and support both local and global communities. However, this infrastructure also creates a pathway for water and nutrient losses to occur. Increasing water storage on the landscape can provide greater water security for growing crops while supporting water quality efforts, which are of growing interest to landowners and the public. The vision for this project is that the process of designing and implementing agricultural drainage will be transformed so that storing water in the landscape will be considered for every drainage system as a foundation for resilient and productive agricultural systems.

Davis Purdue Ag Center Drainage Field Day, June 7-8, 2017 - This free event will include equipment and installation demonstrations as well as lessons learned from 12 years of drainage water management research at DPAC.
Questions and Answers about Drainage Water Recycling in the Midwest - Joint extension publication which addresses a number of common questions about the practice of drainage water recycling.
Ten Ways to Reduce Nitrogen Loads from Drained Cropland in the Midwest - Joint extension publication which describes conservation practices which can be implemented across the farm to improve water quality
Q&A: Nitrate reduction and drainage with Iowa State's Matt Helmers - Article and link to webinar discussing nitrogen management and strategies to work towards nutrient reduction goals
Controlled drainage is the new black - Article on recent advancements in implementing and managing controlled drainage systems
Long-Range Forecast: Purdue Researchers Say Ag Water Management Will be Critical in Coming Decades - Article on the impact of extreme weather events on water resources in agricultural landscapes
Managing Farm Water Could Be a Key to Preserving Water Quality - Purdue AGRIcultures magazine article on potential of drainage water storage practices to improve water quality

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This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2015-68007-23193, “Managing Water for Increased Resiliency of Drained Agricultural Landscapes.” Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.