Subsurface Drainage Systems Presentation Scheduled For National Hard Spring Wheat Show

The MonDak region has experienced excessive moisture the past few years, and in some cases this has led to salinity problems in farm fields. Water flows from high spots and pools in lower areas, leaving behind a salty residue and often a very high water table level. To address these subsurface drainage issues, the 59th Annual National Hard Spring Wheat Show Committee has asked Tom Scherer, NDSU Extension ag engineer, to discuss the use of perforated pipe to control salinity and the water table in agricultural fields. Scherer will speak at 3:30 p.m.on Wednesday, Feb. 8 at the Williston Airport International Inn.

“Subsurface drainage is just using buried, perforated pipe to drain off water,” says Scherer. “This allows water to drain away, similar to how a sump pump works in a house. This is a form of water table level control, and can be used anywhere that people have local conditions where the water table is a problem. I will focus my discussion on where this method may apply and where it will not apply.”

The idea of subsurface drainage may sound like a relatively new idea to those in the MonDak, but subsurface drainage in one form or another has existed for centuries. “This isn’t a new idea,” Scherer points out. “You’ve heard of the Seven Hills of Rome. Well, in among those hills was swamp land that the Romans drained using subsurface drainage techniques. The Greeks also used this method, so it isn’t new technology although it is new to this area. It is all about controlling the rise of the water table level.”

He continues, “The first time this was used in the United States was in upstate New York in 1835, and in 1885, 800 acres of New York City’s Central Park was tiled for subsurface drainage purposes. In the Red River Valley, people have designed systems for their entire fields.”

Scherer points out that generally, farmers bury the perforated pipe three to four feet below ground surface to get good drainage results. “The pipes aren’t buried that deeply,” he says. “I will talk about this, and I will discuss cost estimates and figures. Technology is changing quickly, so this isn’t all that difficult to do. Implementation costs depend upon several variables.”

Scherer, born and raised on a Minnesota dairy farm, earned his PhD in ag engineering from the University of Minnesota. Scherer worked for the State of Minnesota and as an assistant professor and irrigation specialist at the University of Arizona prior to accepting his current position as Extension ag engineer with NDSU. His responsibilities as ag engineer include leadership and development of statewide educational programs involving irrigation systems and management, on site wastewater (septic) systems, private water delivery and treatment systems, drainage, and water resource management.