Educational resources on drainage from the University of Minnesota and elsewhere. You can submit new links by sending them to grsands@umn.edu.

This page contains information related to the following categories.
Click on a category to go to the information in that section:

RECENT PRESENTATIONS

• What's Going Down the Drain - Gary R. Sands , 12/4/06 MASWCD Presentation
  (PDF - 3,514 KB)
  
• 2007 Drainage Forum
  • Red Lake River Farm to Stream Tile Drainage Study - C. Hanson
    (PDF - 1,158 KB)
  • Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico - D. Lemke
    (PDF - 2,788 KB)
  • Drainage Water Management Updates - G. Sands
    (PDF - 650KB)
  • Geomorphic Characteristics of Drainage Ditches in Southern Minnesota, and the concept of a Two-Stage Ditch Design - Brad Hansen, Bruce Wilson, Joe Magner, and John Nieber -
    (PDF - 490 KB)
  • The Effect of Drainage on Aquatic Ecosystems - K. Blann
    (PDF - 431 KB)
  • Wetland Restorations for Hydrology and Water Quality - K. Kuehner
    (PDF - 1,274 KB)
  • Streamflow Changes in the Upper Mississippi River Basin - K. Schilling
    (PDF - 1,019 KB)
  • Drainage Water Management Project Updates from Iowa - M. Helmers
    (PDF - 302 KB)
  • Quantifying the Long-term Effect of Management on N loss and Corn Production - R. Malone
    (PDF - 296 KB)

History

• 1978 Census of Drained Agricultural Land
  (JPG - 159k)
• History of Drainage Research at the University of Minnesota
• Agricultural Water Management for Coastal Plain Soils
  North Carolina

Fundamentals

• Agricultural Drainage Series: Issues & Answers
  University of Minnesota Extension Publication
• Agricultural Drainage Series: Soil Water Concepts
  University of Minnesota Extension Publication

• Frequently Asked Questions about Subsurface (Tile) Drainage
  (PDF - 32 KB)
• Managing Saline Soils In North Dakota
  North Dakota Extension Publication
• Agricultural Water Table Management Systems
  Ohio Extension Publication
• Understanding Agricultural Drainage
  Ohio Extension Publication

Technical Aspects

• Agricultural Drainage Publication Series: Planning an Subsurface Agricultural Drainage System
  University of Minnesota Extension Publication
• Pumping Plants for Subsurface (Tile) Drainage
  (PDF- 37 KB)
• Identifying and Sealing Agricultural Drainage Wells
  University of Minnesota Extension Publication
• How to Run a Percolation Test
  University of Minnesota Extension Publication
• Operating Controlled Drainage and Subirrigation Systems
  North Carolina Extension Publication
• Agricultural Drainage Publication Series: Planning for a Subsurface Agricultural Drainage System
  University of Minnesota Extension Publication
• Home and Basement Drainage
  • Typical causes of basement moisture problems & overview of solutions
    Minnesota Extension Publication
  • Moisture in basements: causes and solutions
    Minnesota Extension Publication
  • Series of articles on basement moisture problems from a home inspection service
• Maintenance of the Drainage System
  Ontario Ministry of Food, Ag & Rural Affairs Factsheet
  
• Tile Drainage Outlets
  Ontario Ministry of Food, Ag & Rural Affairs
  
• Management of Drained Fields
  Ontario Ministry of Food, Ag & Rural Affairs
  
• Drain Problems
  Ontario Ministry of Food, Ag & Rural Affairs
  

Environmental Impacts

• NOAA 2001 spring snowmelt flooding forcast for North central rivers
• Red River Valley flooding during 1800s was as serious as 1997 flooding
  University of Minnesota Extension News Brief
• Controlled Drainage Management Guidelines for Improving Drainage Water Quality
  North Carolina Extension Publication
• Agricultural Drainage: Water Quality Impacts and Subsurface Drainage Studies in the Midwest
  Ohio Extension Bulletin
• Nitrogen and the Hydrologic Cycle
  Ohio Extension Bulletin
• Soil Compaction And Drainage
  Ohio Extension Bulletin

Wetlands

• Minnesota DNR's Wetlands Page
  
• Wetlands and Water Quality
  University of Minnesota Extension Publication
• U. S. Water Quality Standards

Economics

• Minnesota's drainage system will fail, U of M economist says
  University of Minnesota Extension News
• Managing Minnesota's Drainage System
  Minnesota Dept. of Applied Economics article
• Minnesota's Farmland Drainage-Profitability and Concerns
  Minnesota Dept. of Applied Economics article
• Economics of Controlled Drainage and Subirrigation Systems
  North Carolina Extension Publication
  

Law

• Minnesota State Drainage Law (Chapter 103E)
• Iowa Drainage Well Law
• Ohio's Drainage Laws - An Overview

Education Links

• Minnesota River Basin Website
  
• Red River of the North in Minnesota Website
  
• South Eastern Minnesota Watersheds Website
  
• Impacts of Minnesota Farm Systems on Water Quality Website
  
• Agricultural Water Management Website
  Ohio State University
• Water Quality, Supply, Drainage & Irrigation Webpage
  Ontario Ministry of Food, Ag & Rural Affairs