News Contractor at Work Drainage Management Systems
Upcoming workshop will cover design and upgrades for Iowa’s drainage contractors

Update: This event has been postponed until September 2020 due to concerns about the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Please call the ISU Extension and Outreach Humboldt County office at 515-332-2201 for any additional information.

Various aspects of farmland drainage will be the focus of a day-long workshop being held on March 30 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Humboldt, IA. The program begins at 8:30 a.m. and will adjourn at 4 p.m.

“This workshop is being offered due to the increased interest in the drainage main upgrades the past year,” says Kapil Arora, agricultural engineering specialist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

The morning session will focus on drainage design concepts, United States Department of Agriculture wetland compliance, nutrient cycling in soils, and discussions on controlled drainage, bioreactors, saturated buffers and managing drainage water quality with wetlands.

The afternoon session will include discussions on economics of tiling, drainage laws, and drainage district main upgrades.

The afternoon session will include discussions on economics of tiling, drainage laws, and drainage district main upgrades. The day will conclude with a presentation and discussion on long-term benefits of tiling.

Existing systems

Attendees will learn information essential to drainage main upgrading for an existing system while learning about environmental impacts and new technologies.

Iowa State speakers include Arora; Kelvin Leibold, farm management specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach; Matt Helmers, director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center at Iowa State; and Mike Castellano, associate professor in agronomy at Iowa State.

Jim Hudson Jr., with the Hudson Law Firm, will cover Iowa drainage laws and cover issues on drainage districts, and Don Corrington, with Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service, will discuss wetland compliance when drainage is planned.

Jim Hudson Jr., with the Hudson Law Firm, will cover Iowa drainage laws and cover issues on drainage districts, and Don Corrington, with Iowa Natural Resources Conservation Service, will discuss wetland compliance when drainage is planned.

Chris Hay, senior manager of production systems with the Iowa Soybean Association, will talk about drainage water quality practices and managed drainage.

Industry representatives include Iowa Farm Bureau of Humboldt County, Bank Iowa, Pro Cooperative, Northwest Bank, and various others. Industry representatives will also be on hand to answer questions and explain their farmland drainage products and services.

Companies exhibiting will include Prinsco, Timewell Drainage, Agri Drain and ADS. The workshop qualifies for Certified Crop Adviser credits, which have been applied for.

The registration fee is $40 before March 26, and $50 thereafter. Workshop materials, morning refreshments and lunch are included in the fee. Registration can be made by completing the form in the brochure and by making payment to the ISU Extension and Outreach Humboldt County office. If paying with a credit card, call 515-576-2119 to register.

For more information, download the Humboldt location drainage workshop brochure or call the ISU Extension and Outreach Humboldt County office at 515-332-2201.