Tuesday, November 14, 2006 - 3:45 PM
197-7
Drainage Water Management Effects on Drainflow and Water Table Depths at Four Sites in Indiana.
Drainage water management, also known as controlled drainage, is a practice designed to reduce subsurface drainage flows during periods of the year when rapid drainage is not necessary for agricultural activity. In climates where drains typically flow all winter, drainage water management can significantly reduce overall flow volumes and associated nitrate-N losses in drainflow. This study was initiated on four paired sites in Indiana during 2004-2005. The overall goal is to determine the impacts of drainage water management on water flow, water quality, soil quality, crop yield, and profitability. This presentation will discuss data on drainage water flow volumes and water table depths. Sites were instrumented to continuously measure drainage water flow from both managed and unmanaged drain outlets. Three of the paired sites had the drain outlet managed only during the growing season while one of the paired sites was also managed during the winter. In succeeding years, all sites will be managed during both winter and summer seasons. Periodic submergence of the drain outlets pose major challenges to drainflow measurement, and alternative strategies for these measurements will also be discussed. Water table is monitored continuously at one location in each field. In addition, water table was monitored at three or four locations per field for approximately one month during winter 2006, to obtain more detailed data on water table dynamics and field variations. Preliminary analyses of both flow and water table data will be presented.
Recorded presentation