Effects of Controlled Drainage on Water Table Recession Rate

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (3) ◽  
pp. 813-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samaneh Saadat ◽  
Laura Bowling ◽  
Jane Frankenberger ◽  
Kyle Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Water Table ◽  
Subsurface Drainage ◽  
Drainage Water ◽  
Optimal Operation ◽  
Rainfall Event ◽  
Controlled Drainage ◽  
Recession Rate ◽  
Watershed Approach ◽  
Recession Rates ◽  
Paired Watershed

Abstract. Controlled drainage is a best management practice that decreases nitrate loads from subsurface drainage, but questions remain about optimal operation strategies. One unanswered question is whether the outlet should be lowered prior to or directly after a rainfall event to reduce the amount of time that the water table is at a level that would be detrimental to either trafficability or crop yield. The objective of this study was to determine how much controlled drainage lengthens the time needed for the water table to fall after a rainfall event, to inform possible improvement in the management of controlled drainage systems. This objective was addressed using water table recession rates from two pairs of controlled and free-draining fields located at the Davis Purdue Agricultural Center in Indiana over a period of nine years (2006-2014). At each pair, comparison of mean recession rates from the two fields indicated that controlled drainage reduced recession rate. The significance of the relationship between paired observations and the effect of controlled drainage was determined by a paired watershed approach using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and covariance (ANCOVA). Raising the outlet of the subsurface drainage system decreased the mean rate of water table recession by 29% to 62%, increasing the time needed for the water table level to fall from the surface to 30 and 60 cm depths by approximately 12 to 26 h and 24 to 53 h, respectively. Based on these results, it can be concluded that lowering the outlet before storm events would reduce the amount of time that the water table is at a detrimental level for either crop growth or trafficability. However, the trade-off between costs and benefits of active management depends on the sensitivity of the crop and probability of a severe storm. Keywords: Drainage water management, Managed drainage, Paired watershed approach, Tile drainage, Water table drawdown.

scholarly journals Impact of Controlled Drainage and Subirrigation on Water Quality in the Red River Valley

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 308
Author(s):  
Kristen Almen ◽  
Xinhua Jia ◽  
Thomas DeSutter ◽  
Thomas Scherer ◽  
Minglian Lin
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Surface Water Quality ◽  
Drainage Water ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Red River ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Controlled Drainage ◽  
Red River Valley ◽  
The Impact

The potential impact of controlled drainage (CD), which limits drainage outflow, and subirrigation (SI), which provides supplemental water through drain tile, on surface water quality are not well known in the Red River Valley (RRV). In this study, water samples were collected and analyzed for chemical concentrations from a tile-drained field that also has controlled drainage and subirrigation modes in the RRV of southeastern North Dakota from 2012–2018. A decreasing trend in overall nutrient load loss was observed because of reduced drainage outflow, though some chemical concentrations were found to be above the recommended surface water quality standards in this region. For example, sulfate was recommended to be below 750 mg/L but was reported at a mean value of 1971 mg/L during spring free drainage. The chemical composition of the subirrigation water was shown to have an impact on drainage water and the soil, specifically on salinity-related parameters, and the impact varied between years. This variation largely depended on the amount of subirrigation applied, soil moisture, and soil properties. Overall, the results of this study show the benefits of controlled drainage on nutrient loss reduction from agricultural fields.

A WETLAND TO IMPROVE AGRICULTURAL SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE WATER QUALITY

2002 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. S. Miller ◽  
J. K. Mitchell ◽  
R. A. Cooke ◽  
B. A. Engel
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Subsurface Drainage ◽  
Drainage Water

scholarly journals Assessment of a Large Subsurface Controlled Drainage and Irrigation System: III. Water chemistry of the tile effluent and its potential impact on surface water resources

2010 ◽  
Vol 44-45 (2010-2011) ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
Michael Aide ◽  
Indi Braden ◽  
Neil Hermann ◽  
David Mauk ◽  
Wesley Mueller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Subsurface Drainage ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Soil Nitrate ◽  
Controlled Drainage ◽  
Surface Water Resources ◽  
Nitrate N ◽  
Nitrate Concentrations

Abstract Controlled subsurface drainage irrigation systems promote crop productivity; however, these land management systems also allow an efficient pathway for the transport of elements from soils to surface water resources. The nitrate and macro-element effluent concentrations from tile-drainage involving a 40 ha controlled subsurface drainage irrigation system are described and compared to soil nitrate availability. Soil nitrate concentrations generally show an increase immediately after soil nitrogen fertilization practices and are sufficiently abundant to promote their transport from the soil resource to the tile-drain effluent waters. The data indicates that: (1) the transport of nitrate-N in tile-drain effluent waters is appreciable; (2) denitrification pathways effectively reduce a portion of the soil nitrate-N when the controlled drainage system establishes winter-early spring anoxic soil conditions, and (3) the best strategy for reducing nitrate-N concentrations in tile-drain effluent waters is adjusting N fertilization rates and the timing of their application. The development of bioreactors for simulating wetland conditions may further limit nitrate concentrations in surface waters because of soil drainage.

scholarly journals Simulation of real-time variations of saline drainage water: comparing system dynamics with DRAINMOD-S

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hamed Nozari ◽  
Abdolmajid Liaghat ◽  
Saeed Azadi ◽  
Azin Poursadri ◽  
Behzad Ghanbarian
Keyword(s):  
System Dynamics ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Drainage Water ◽  
Computer Simulation Model ◽  
Agricultural Water ◽  
Agricultural Water Management ◽  
Water Table Fluctuation ◽  
Wastewater Quality ◽  
Daily Water ◽  
Time Variations

Abstract Accurate simulations of wastewater quality and quantity, particularly in saline and semi-arid areas, are important in agricultural water management. In this study a system dynamics (SD) approach was proposed to simulate drainage water and groundwater salinities, water table fluctuation, and drainage discharge at field-scale. The results of the SD approach were compared with results from DRAINMOD-S, a computer simulation model. For model validation, earlier experimental data from two field units were used. The field units each contained three rows of piezometers. During irrigation, daily water table fluctuation, drainage discharge, irrigation and drainage water salinity, and the salinity in each piezometer, were measured. The SD approach simulated these parameters more accurately than DRAINMOD-S for both units.

Effect of controlled drainage and tillage on soil structure and tile drainage nitrate loss at the field scale

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 103-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. S. Tan ◽  
C. F. Drury ◽  
M. Soultani ◽  
I. J. van Wesenbeeck ◽  
H. Y. F. Ng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Structure ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Drainage System ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Drainage Water ◽  
Tile Drainage ◽  
No Tillage ◽  
Controlled Drainage ◽  
Nitrate Loss ◽  
Free Drainage

Conservation tillage has become an attractive form of agricultural management practices for corn and soybean production on heavy textured soil in southern Ontario because of the potential for improving soil quality. A controlled drainage system combined with conservation tillage practices has also been reported to improve water quality. In Southwestern Ontario, field scale on farm demonstration sites were established in a paired watershed (no-tillage vs. conventional tillage) on clay loam soil to study the effect of tillage system on soil structure and water quality. The sites included controlled drainage and free drainage systems to monitor their effect on nitrate loss in the tile drainage water. Soil structure, organic matter content and water storage in the soil profile were improved with no-tillage (NT) compared to conventional tillage (CT). No-tillage also increased earthworm populations. No-tillage was found to have higher tile drainage volume and nitrate loss which were attributed to an increase in soil macropores from earthworm activity. The controlled drainage system (CD) reduced nitrate loss in tile drainage water by 14% on CT site and 25.5% on NT site compared to the corresponding free drainage system (DR) from May, 1995 to April 30, 1997. No-tillage farming practices are definitely enhanced by using a controlled drainage system for preventing excessive nitrate leaching through tile drainage. Average soybean yields for CT site were about 12 to 14% greater than the NT site in 1995 and 1996. However, drainage systems had very little effect on soybean yields in 1995 and 1996 due to extremely dry growing seasons.

scholarly journals PREDICTION OF NO 3 -N LOSSES WITH SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE WATER FROM MANURED AND UAN-FERTILIZED PLOTS USING GLEAMS

2000 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bakhsh ◽  
R. S. Kanwar ◽  
D. B. Jaynes ◽  
T. S. Colvin ◽  
L. R. Ahuja
Keyword(s):  
Subsurface Drainage ◽  
Drainage Water ◽  
N Losses

scholarly journals Policy-Driven Sustainable Saline Drainage Disposal and Forage Production in the Western San Joaquin Valley of California

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 6362
Author(s):  
Amninder Singh ◽  
Nigel W. T. Quinn ◽  
Sharon E. Benes ◽  
Florence Cassel
Keyword(s):  
Root Zone ◽  
Subsurface Drainage ◽  
Drainage Water ◽  
Agricultural Drainage ◽  
Forage Production ◽  
Tall Wheatgrass ◽  
San Joaquin River ◽  
Agricultural Drainage Water ◽  
Irrigation Drainage ◽  
Root Zone Salinity

Environmental policies to address water quality impairments in the San Joaquin River of California have focused on the reduction of salinity and selenium-contaminated subsurface agricultural drainage loads from westside sources. On 31 December 2019, all of the agricultural drainage from a 44,000 ha subarea on the western side of the San Joaquin River basin was curtailed. This policy requires the on-site disposal of all of the agricultural drainage water in perpetuity, except during flooding events, when emergency drainage to the River is sanctioned. The reuse of this saline agricultural drainage water to irrigate forage crops, such as ‘Jose’ tall wheatgrass and alfalfa, in a 2428 ha reuse facility provides an economic return on this pollutant disposal option. Irrigation with brackish water requires careful management to prevent salt accumulation in the crop root zone, which can impact forage yields. The objective of this study was to optimize the sustainability of this reuse facility by maximizing the evaporation potential while achieving cost recovery. This was achieved by assessing the spatial and temporal distribution of the root zone salinity in selected fields of ‘Jose’ tall wheatgrass and alfalfa in the drainage reuse facility, some of which have been irrigated with brackish subsurface drainage water for over fifteen years. Electromagnetic soil surveys using an EM-38 instrument were used to measure the spatial variability of the salinity in the soil profile. The tall wheatgrass fields were irrigated with higher salinity water (1.2–9.3 dS m−1) compared to the fields of alfalfa (0.5–6.5 dS m−1). Correspondingly, the soil salinity in the tall wheatgrass fields was higher (12.5 dS m−1–19.3 dS m−1) compared to the alfalfa fields (8.97 dS m−1–14.4 dS m−1) for the years 2016 and 2017. Better leaching of salts was observed in the fields with a subsurface drainage system installed (13–1 and 13–2). The depth-averaged root zone salinity data sets are being used for the calibration of the transient hydro-salinity computer model CSUID-ID (a one-dimensional version of the Colorado State University Irrigation Drainage Model). This user-friendly decision support tool currently provides a useful framework for the data collection needed to make credible, field-scale salinity budgets. In time, it will provide guidance for appropriate leaching requirements and potential blending decisions for sustainable forage production. This paper shows the tie between environmental drainage policy and the role of local governance in the development of sustainable irrigation practices, and how well-directed collaborative field research can guide future resource management.

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