July 24, 2013, Illinois – Two groups recently had the opportunity to learn about two systems sparking interest in the drainage industry.
Springfield Plastics, Inc. hosted tours for the attendees of the InfoAg Conference on July 15 and attendees of the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts tour on July 21. After touring the Springfield Plastics plant, both groups had a firsthand look at two systems that are sparking interest in the drainage industry: Drainage Water Management (DWM) and Saturated Buffer Systems. DWM is the practice of using a water control structure in a main, sub main, or lateral drain to vary the depth of the drainage outlet. DWM manages the timing and amount of water discharged from agricultural drainage systems. Water quality benefits are possible by minimizing unnecessary tile drainage and reducing nitrate amounts that leave fields. DWM systems can also retain water needed for late season crop production. It allows producers to control water delivery by holding water in root zones when crops need it and draining it when there’s too much. A saturated buffer system has a control structure that diverts the flow from the outlet to a lateral distribution line. The lateral distribution line runs parallel to the buffer and as the water is diverted to this line, saturation occurs. As this saturation or lateral water movement through the buffer occurs the vegetation naturally removes the nutrients in the water.
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