Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

March 31, 2009: Jeff Strock welcomed everyone and called the annual meeting of the NCERA207 committee to order at 8:05 a.m. on March 31, 2009 at the University Plaza Hotel in Columbus, OH. Everyone present introduced themselves. Kelly Nelson was secretary and responsible for minutes of the current meeting and submission of the annual report. Administrative Advisor report: Ramesh Kanwar reported that the reviews for the NCERA207 renewal were collected and there was limited discussion on the education and outreach portion of the committee. He suggested sharing in the state reports new information such as funding, information sharing, education projects and programs. Ramesh distributed a handout on Impact Writing for assistance in writing station reports. The reports needed to be no longer than two pages. There was discussion regarding the change from NCR to NCERA and an emphasis on extension and education was necessary. Technical programs with an education emphasis needed to share what was done and be more explicit on the education/extension aspects as well as the classroom teaching of stakeholders such as contractors and farmers. Response to the reviews for renewal of the committee, state reports, and minutes needed to be submitted by June 1, 2009. CSREES Representative report: Mary Ann Rozum was unable to attend, but was able to provide a written report that was shared by Jeff Strock. CSREES was reorganized as NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture). Emphasis will be placed on the fate and transport of pharmaceuticals and hormones, pathogen fate, and water availability in water short areas. The new office of Ecosystem Services will be under the Department of Agriculture. Jeff was going to forward specific information and communications to committee members. Business meeting #1: The minutes from the previous meeting were approved. Revisions on the education and extension part of the NCERA renewal were discussed. Larry Brown volunteered to provide support to renewal committee (Jeff Strock, Larry Geohring, Jane Frankenberger, and Kelly Nelson) regarding the extension and education portion of the NCERA renewal. Jeff volunteered to lead the edits on the renewal in response to the reviewers comments. Discussion on mini-symposia included topics such as: 1) ecological effects of drainage and drainage water management, 2) hydrologic changes of drainage and the impacts on flooding, 3) bioreactor status/recommendations, 4) management implications of drainage water management, 5) drainage water management effects on carbon sequestration and nutrient trading, 6) seasonality and nutrient loading effects on algae blooms, 7) climate change issues and drainage water management, 8) CEAP project nutrient loss implications, 9) drainage guide update/integration, 10) integrated drainage school curriculum development, and 11) phosphorus delivery mechanisms and the role of drainage. Ramesh suggested that the topics for the mini-symposia should target additional individuals in the host region that could benefit. Station Reports: Station reports were given by Matt Helmers (IA), Dan Jaynes (IA), Richard Cooke (IL), Jane Frankenberger (IN), Eileen Kladivko (IN), Alok Bhandari (IA), Tim Harrigan (MI), Gary Sands (MN), Jeff Strock (MN), Kelly Nelson (MO), Larry Geohring (NY), Mohamed Youssef (NC), Wayne Skaggs (NC), Amir Hass (WV), Norm Fausey (OH), Larry Brown (OH), and Mark Sunohara (Canada). The meeting was adjourned at 5:10 p.m. April 1, 2009: Jeff Strock called the meeting to order at 8:15 a.m. Business meeting #2: " Larry Geohring was nominated as the incoming secretary by Eileen Kladivko, seconded by Gary Sands, and elected unanimously. " The location for next years meeting in New York was discussed. It was decided that holding the meeting in conjunction with the ASABE 9th International Drainage Symposium at Quebec, Montreal, Canada (June 13-16) at Plattsburg, NY on June 17 and 18 would be a favorable arrangement since the location would have field tour opportunities and proximity to the meeting in Quebec was only a 3-4 hour drive. " Future mini-symposium topics identified in the 1st business meeting were discussed. o Wayne Skaggs noted that the hydrologic changes due to drainage and the impacts on flooding topic were captured in the Drainage Monograph. The application of this information to specific regions with regards to response to media and public access implications as well as regional extension publication utilization was discussed by Gary Sands and Jane Frankenberger. It was suggested that we try to get the author to attend the next NCERA meeting. Jane Frankenberger requested that we circulate questions regarding drainage and flooding in order to provide an integrated Q&A publication. o Norm Fausey noted that environmental and ecosystem services should be a focus of topics 1, 5, 6, 7, and 8. o Committee discussion on management implications of drainage water management included: web-site based guidelines, time and compromise required to develop guidelines, time and spatial operation of water level control structures, direct assistance and education needed for management, dry year vs. wet year anxiety, and conservative recommendations during the growing season to avoid crop damage. o Jane Frankenberger lead discussion on regional programming regarding drainage guide update/integration and integrated drainage school curriculum development. There was a need to emphasize design in new drainage system development and share curriculum. Jane organized a group of participants (Larry Brown, Gary Sands, Matt Helmers, Richard Cooke, Jeff Strock, and Kelly Nelson) to discuss an integrated drainage school curriculum. o Norm Fausey suggested that phosphorus delivery mechanisms and the role of drainage should be added as a symposium item. " The renewal of NCERA207 was revisited and objective 4 was clear regarding extension activities. Jeff volunteered to provide additional text to address this objective and highlight, bold, or bullet such text. Virtual Tour of CIG: Norm Fausey opted to provide a virtual tour of the CIG program due to the time required to visit field sites. Source water protection from 1985 to 2000 focused on atrazine levels in drinking water supply using paired watershed (usually less than 2 square miles) comparisons. Database layers included digital elevation, LIDAR, EQIP/CREP program participation, roads, subsurface drainage, and records of cost-share practices. Farmers in the watersheds were paid not to use atrazine. The levels of atrazine from 1997 decreased to 2002. Since the contracts have expired, atrazine levels have increased over time. In addition, drainage water management has focused primarily in Northwestern Ohio. These sites have been established to demonstrate an economical benefit to the producer. There was extensive discussion on flow rates, weir calibration, automation, and weir height. A special thanks was extended to Norm for sharing. Mini-symposium: Drainage ditch design and ecological impacts The symposium highlighted the effects of drainage ditches and channel design on ecological processes. Peter Rocky Smiley initiated the mini-symposium with current research evaluating the impact of drainage ditches on fish habitat and ecology. Ditches in Midwestern states have ranged from 27,000 to 56,000 km. There have been conflicts between ditch and water quality laws. Peter provided an overview of literature noting that 33 papers had focused on agricultural drainage mostly in the Midwest (IA, MN, IL, IN, and OH) with a total of 71 fish species identified in agricultural drainage ditches. Rocky provided an overview of their CEAP ecology project comparing channelized and unchannelized headwater streams. Toxicity indexes were established to evaluate toxicity of mixtures. He noted that there were some periodic peaks of maximum contaminant levels within the headwater streams. Andy Ward followed with a presentation on two-stage drainage ditch systems. Andy highlighted dynamic equilibrium, channel forming discharges, the need for evaluation of channels and developing appropriate designs for sizing of the channel, the benefits of benches in a ditch, and the need for monitoring performance. A comparison of benches and grass buffer strips showed that an increase in bench area resulted in more nitrogen removal, denitrification, and reduced downstream flooding. The members of NCERA 207 thanked Norm Fausey and Larry Brown for the local arrangements for our meeting and the ADMSTF meeting that follows. NCERA207 committee meeting was adjourned at 12:05 p.m. Submitted: Kelly Nelson NCERA207 Secretary 2009

Accomplishments: Group Accomplishments: The committee held its sixth annual meeting on March 31-April 1, 2009 in coordination with the ADMSTF (Ag. Drainage Management Systems Task Force) meeting held at the same location on April 1-2, 2009. A mini-symposium featured drainage ditch design and the ecological impacts of drainage water management. IA (Iowa State University), submitted by Matt Helmers: Accomplishments. Research and extension efforts at Iowa State University relative to drainage design and management practices to improve water quality continue to center on nutrient export from tile drainage systems and nutrient management practices to minimize this export of nutrients, specifically nitrate-nitrogen. Work is also continuing that is evaluating drainage water management and cropping practice impacts on drainage volume and drainage water quality. In addition, work is beginning on examining the impacts of optimal drainage design and integration with nutrient removal wetlands to reduce downstream nutrient transport and improve crop production. We also conducted some hydrologic modeling to simulate potential impacts of climate change on subsurface drainage. Water quality and water quantity are being monitoring from seven drainage water quality research sites. From field plot studies based on three years of data we found little impact of timing of nitrogen application on nitrate concentrations in drainage water in north-central Iowa. Based on this same study it was found that various land covers including continuous living mulch, winter cover crop, and perennial grass have some potential to reduce nitrate loss. Extension work has focused on disseminating information relative to drainage water quality and economic design of drainage systems. This has included statewide, regional, and local programming events. In collaboration with colleagues at the University of Minnesota, the IA-MN Drainage Research Forum was held in December 2008 and was attended by approximately 80 stakeholders. In September 2008, an Iowa Drainage School was held in Ames, IA that focused on hands-on design of drainage systems. Approximately 25 individuals participated in this event. Impacts. Through a publication on the impacts of nitrogen application on nitrate concentration there is an improved understanding of the impacts of nitrogen application rate on drainage water quality. The information is being used by a Cedar River TMDL working group convened by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to evaluate the economic and environmental impacts of various nitrogen application rate scenarios. An outcome from the IA-MN Drainage Research Forum is that we are providing research-based information on drainage water quality to stakeholders including state agency personnel in Iowa and the Midwest with a goal of improving the knowledge of drainage water quality issues and practices that can be used to minimize drainage water quality impacts. Feedback from the IA-MN Drainage Research Forum indicated attendees valued the research based presentations, the cooperation of Iowa State University and the University of Minnesota on drainage issues, and the mix of basic and applied studies that were presented at the meeting. One attendee congratulated Iowa and Minnesota for organizing this valuable meeting. IA (ARS National Soil Tilth Lab, Ames), submitted by Dan Jaynes: Accomplishments. Bioreactors and Cover Crops. Nitrate in water removed from fields by subsurface drain (tile) systems is often at concentrations exceeding the 10 mg N L1 maximum contaminant level (MCL) set by the USEPA for drinking water and has been implicated in contributing to the hypoxia problem within the northern Gulf of Mexico. Because previous research shows that N fertilizer management alone is not sufficient for reducing NO3 concentrations in subsurface drainage below the MCL, additional approaches are need. In a continuing field study, we are comparing the NO3 losses in tile drainage from a conventional drainage system (CN) consisting of a free-flowing pipe installed 1.2 m below the soil surface to losses in tile drainage from two alternative drainage designs. The alternative treatments are a denitrification wall bioreactor (BR), where trenches excavated parallel to the tile and filled with woodchips serve as additional carbon sources to increase denitrification and a rye (Secale cereale L.) winter cover crop seeded each year near harvest and then chemically killed before planting the main crop the next following spring. Four replicate 30.5 x 42.7-m field plots were installed for each treatment in 1999 and a corn/soybean rotation initiated in 2000. Over the past 9 yr the bioreactor and fall cover crop have reduced NO3 losses by 15 to 47 kg N yr-1. There has been no trend in the bioreactor efficacy indicating that the woodchips are still supporting denitrification at rates similar to when were first installed. The only year that the fall cover crop did not reduce nitrate losses was in 2001 when little cover crop was established in the fall of 2000 due to very dry weather after planting. Applying Drainage Water Management (DWM) across the Midwest Background. Thorp et al. 2008 calculated changes in NO3 losses across the Midwest with DWM using a calibrated/validated version of the RZWQM model for a corn-soybean rotation with 180#/ac N applied to corn in spring. We estimated cropland suitable for DWM by using the 1992 NLCD data to determine row cropped areas within the Midwest combined with using STATSGO soils information to estimate how many of these cropped areas are probably tile drained by assuming that all soils with land capability class of IIw, IIIw, IVw are drained (Jaynes and James). A subclass of the drained cropland was selected that would be suitable for DWM by estimating the extent of drained cropland with d 0.5% slope. These areas were computed by assuming that ½ of the drained soils with slope class of 0-1% and ¼ of the drained soils with slope class of 0-2% are suitable for DWM. The percentage of row crops from the NLCD that are actually in corn or soybean was estimated from the percentage of corn and soybean of all row crops for these counties taken from the 2002 NASS crop database. The acres that are suitable for DWM were estimated by multiplying the estimate for drained cropland with slopes d 0.5% by the percent of cropland in corn or soybean. Estimates of DWM effectiveness from Thorp et al. 2008 were multiplied by the total number of acres that are suitable for DWM. Costs. Impacts: The presentation Potential Water Quality Impact of Drainage Water Management in the Midwest Cornbelt, was made at the ASABE annual meeting June 30 - Jul 3, Providence, RI. Mid-Iowa NRCS staff was given a tour of the drainage facility at the Kelly field showing the impact of cover crops and bioreactors on tile drainage nitrate, Sep 3. A presentation was made on drainage water management at the Iowa Drainage School, Sep 10. Co-hosted Sally Collins, USDA, Dean Lemke, IDALS, Bill Northey, IA Sec of Ag., Mark Gibson, Hach Co., Roger Wolf, ISA, Tim Recker, ICGA and Alex Echols, Sand County Foundation among others on a tour April 9 highlighting CREP wetlands and drainage water management projects. IN (Purdue University), submitted by Jane Frankenberger and Eileen Kladivko: Accomplishments. We are currently analyzing the 2000-2007 data from the long-term SEPAC drainage site and comparing it to the 1985-99 data. Our previous findings of no significant differences among spacings (5, 10, 20 m) in drainflow nitrate concentrations still holds true, except for one year in which two of the six plots had corn yield reductions of about one third. In this case, nitrate concentrations were significantly higher for those plots during fall and winter while residual nitrate was being flushed out of the system, and then became similar to the other plots again by late spring. Thus the generalization that spacing does not affect concentration applies only when yield differences among spacings are relatively modest. The site has also been switched from using preplant anhydrous ammonia to sidedress liquid urea-ammonium-nitrate (UAN) as the main fertilizer N source. With anhydrous, there was no increase in nitrate concentrations in drainflow shortly after application, due to the time lag for nitrification to occur. However with UAN, there have been measurable increases in nitrate concentration shortly after application, due to the fact that a portion of the fertilizer is already in the nitrate form and available to be leached. This underscores the necessity for carefully considering the form and timing of fertilizer application when making generalizations about drainage concentration response to N fertilizer. Drainage water management research continues at four private farms and the Davis Purdue Agriculture Center (DPAC), where drain flow, water table depth, and crop yield have now been collected for three years. The effects of drainage water management during the growing season and the winter season are being determined using the paired statistical approach. In addition to the research, numerous extension efforts educated farmers, agencies, and the public about improved drainage management practices. A field day was held at one of the Conservation Innovation Grant sites in White County, with participation by the collaborating farmers, Purdue, the county extension educator, ADMC, NRCS, and local farmers. Extension talks were given at numerous other extension meetings and field days throughout the year, discussing drain spacing, drainage water management, and cover crops and their effects on reducing nitrate losses to surface waters. Impacts. Research has resulted in a better understanding of nitrogen and yield impacts of drainage water management. The new SEPAC project web site (www.agry.purdue.edu/drainage) will provide information to researchers, the agricultural community, and the public on the long-term drainage research at SEPAC. Hundreds of farmers and contractors have increased their knowledge of drainage water quality issues and the potential of drainage water management to reduce nitrate losses. MI (Michigan State University), submitted by Tim Harrigan: Accomplishments: The research and extension efforts in drainage management and design to protect water quality are focused on microbiological water quality with specific interest the effects of land application of livestock manure and bio-solids from wastewater treatment plants. In Michigan, pollution from agricultural sources was listed as the third most common cause (2,663 river-km) for failure to attain water quality standards (WQS; MDEQ, 2004), and pathogens were listed as the third most common cause for the failure of rivers to support designated uses. The bacteriological water quality of subsurface drain effluent following the land application of dairy manure has been under evaluation at a seven-acre site in southeastern Michigan since 2006. The research site is on a gently rolling (1-2% slope) predominantly Blount loam soil (fine, illitic, mesic Aeric Epiaqualfs) that is representative of much of the drained cropland throughout the region. The field has been in a no-till cropping program with a corn -soybean rotation for several years. Subsurface drains consisting of four inch laterals at a depth of 91 cm and 13.7 m spacing between laterals were installed in 1996. In December, 2004, modified circular flumes (15 cm; Cooke et al., 2004) with sampling wells were installed in twelve subsurface drains. Three treatments (no manure; liquid dairy manure; and liquid manure applied to a fall seeded, chemically desiccated, cereal rye cover crop) were established in a randomized block design with four replications. Liquid dairy manure was applied at 6000 gal/acre in early May (2006-2008) with a commercially available slurry tanker (Husky Farm Equipment Ltd., Alma, Ontario, Canada; 11,340 L) equipped with a rear-mounted rolling-tine aerator (3.66 m; Aer-Way, Holland Equipment Ltd. Norwich, Ontario, Canada) and a SSD (sub-surface deposition) slurry distribution system. The aeration tool and slurry tank were drawn behind a 112-kW tractor at 4.8 km h-1. The manure slurry was applied in a 7.3 m swath over each subsurface drain. Slurry rate calibration was based on tractor engine rpm, travel speed, machine width, and slurry flow rate. The flow rate was monitored with an electromagnetic flow meter (15.2 cm diameter; Danfoss, Danfoss Inc., Milwaukee, Wis.) mounted on the SSD. Our observations to date indicate that much more information is needed on: the nature of the E. coli leaching from these soils into tile-drains; the degree to which they truly indicate transport of pathogens to tile water; alternative, unequivocal, indicators of both immediate and residual manure transport to tile drains; and improved understanding of the influence of manure management practices on E. coli occurrence, survival and transport through soils. Outreach and Extension. The results of this work were presented to farmers, technical service providers and regulatory agency personnel at the Conservation Tillage Conference in Ada, Ohio in February, 2008, and at the Center for Excellence field day in Lenewee Co. in August 2008. Impacts. The results of this work has increased awareness of the potential for leaching of E. coli and other bacterial contaminants to subsurface drains following the land application of liquid manure. Tentative BMPs for land application of liquid manure on artificially drained cropland based on our work include: 1) limit application rates to no more than 6,000 to 8,000 gallons per acre in a single application, 2) use pre-tillage to fracture and disrupt preferential flow paths, 3) avoid slurry application on wet ground and when significant rainfall is forecast. MN (University of Minnesota), submitted by Gary Sands: Accomplishments. Drainage and water quality field research continues to be conducted at the University of Minnesota Southern Research and Outreach Center (SROC) in Waseca, MN. The role of drainage depth and intensity on hydrology and nitrate-nitrogen losses from drained lands is being investigated. Eight years of data beginning in 2001 indicate that shallow drainage can reduce seasonal drainage volumes and nitrate-nitrogen by 18-20 percent, when data are averaged over the entire study period. This research also shows that drainage intensity is a strong predictor of nitrate-nitrogen losses. When drain spacings designed for a 13 mm/day design drainage rate (intensity) were cut in half (resulting in a 51 mm/d theoretical steady-state drainage intensity), 6-year nitrate-nitrogen loads were reduced by 18 percent. A drainage design workshop continues to be held in Minnesota annually, with collaboration from researchers and extension specialists in Minnesota, Iowa, and North Dakota. University of Minnesota Extension and University of Iowa Extension Service held the ninth annual Drainage Research Forum in Owatonna, Minnesota. The event was attended by over 100 university faculty, agency staffs, producers and contractors. University of Minnesota and North Dakota State Extension collaborated for the second year to conduct a 1-day drainage forum, held on the NDSU campus. Approximately 180 attendees heard presentations comprising drainage design, water quality impacts, and an interesting agency/farmer forum. Impacts. University of Minnesota research and extension activities continue to serve stakeholders interested in drainage, water quality, and soil/water conservation. The programs serve thousands of stakeholders annually through all facets of delivery. MN (University of Minnesota), submitted by Jeff Strock: Accomplishments. Soil and water management and conservation with emphasis on drainage water management continues to be conducted at the University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center (SWROC) near Lamberton, MN. Our research goal is to provide field-based research information and integrated soil and water management solutions to assist agricultural and environmental stakeholders in supporting sustainable agricultural production and improving water quality. Results from the on-farm, field-scale, research project comparing controlled and conventional drainage showed that controlled drainage reduced nitrogen and phosphorus loss from the drainage system by 65% and 75%, respectively, compared to conventional drainage. No yield difference was observed between the two drainage systems. A plot scale drainage research site at SWROC was retrofitted to compare drain outflow, nutrient, and fecal bacteria losses from controlled and conventional drainage. Data collection continues on drainage water management within vegetated open ditches. Nutrient retention basins were constructed and included pairs of surface-flow, subsurface-flow, and vertical-flow basins. Pre-flooding soils samples were collected and analyzed for background levels of nutrients and trace metals. Extension/Outreach Education. The 3rd Soil and Water Management Field Day and Drainage Water Management Design Workshop was hosted by the Hicks family (Nettiewyynnt Farm) and was designed to highlight progress on soil and water management research and serve as an example of inter-institutional and inter-agency collaboration. The objective of the Field Day and Workshop was to convene researchers, stakeholders and practitioners to interact on issues related to soil drainage for productivity and environmental enhancement. The proceedings from the Field Day included six papers that discuss research projects conducted by scientists from the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and the Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS)  Soil and Water Management Research Unit. Nearly 100 people participated in the field day and 25 farmers, contracts, and agency staff attended the 1.5 day workshop. (http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/soilandwater/08soilwater_proceeding.pdf). Impacts. Research and accompanying extension/outreach education programs increased the understanding of the effect of controlled versus conventional drainage on drain outflow and nutrient loss. This research shows that there are practices with the potential to decrease drain outflow and nutrient losses under drained agricultural landscapes. In addition to on-going research, over 1,100 producers, agriculture professionals, and local, state and federal employees participated in field days and workshops on topics related to soil and water management and conservation and drainage water management research during 2008. MO (University of Missouri), submitted by Kelly Nelson: Accomplishments. Drainage and subirrigation research in Northeast Missouri in claypan soils is ongoing and has been expanded to corn hybrid comparisons and soybean management systems. Some of the key findings to date from this research include: a) drainage only increased average corn grain yields up to 15% while DSI increased average yields up to 45% when compared with non-drained, non-irrigated soil, b) overhead irrigation increased grain yield 25% compared to subirrigated corn with 6.1 m laterals when averaged over all N treatments from 2004 to 2007; however, applied water was on average 4-times greater for overhead irrigated corn compared with subirrigated corn on a 6.1 m drain tile spacing during this period; c) soybean planting date was delayed an average of 3 days for the non-drained control when compared with drained soils from 2002 to 2008; d) soybean grain yield with drainage only has averaged 23% greater than the non-drained or non-drained delayed planting controls; and e) DSI had soybean grain yields 27% greater than the non-drained or non-drained delayed planting controls. The Hubble Creek (AgNPS) SALT Project obtained funding by the Cape Girardeau SWCD from DNR via the Soils and Parks Tax to address water quality issues while additional support was obtained from EPA. A drainage/irrigation system was piloted to incorporate control structures to manage drainage and allow low-cost, low-energy subsurface irrigation. Over 1,100 acres of prime farmland implemented this system. Corn yields often doubled and generally increased yield 75 bu/acre. Soybean yield increase was usually 25%, but in a dry year yield doubled. It was estimated that the yield increase amounted to about $270/acre for a total of over $250,000 of additional income. Income and yields were stabilized, risk was reduced, and pollution potential has been reduced based on research from other states. Southeast Missouri State University installed 100 acres of this system on their farm south of Gordonville. A new research site at the Bradford Research and Extension Center near Columbia was completed in 2008. Impacts. The success of the Hubble Creek project has allowed the SWCD to obtain an AgNPS SALT grant for the Byrd's Creek watershed. It will include many of the same practices of the Hubble Creek project. A drainage installation field day was held at Columbia over a two-day period with over 200 in attendance. Approximately 30 participants were trained on drainage water management design at the MLICA drainage workshop in Feb., 2009. NC (North Carolina State University), submitted by Mohamed A. Youssef and R. Wayne Skaggs: Accomplishments. A Conservation Innovative Grant (CIG) project was funded by NRCS and initiated in late 2007. The two field demonstration sites previously identified for this project have continued to function. The first site is located at the Tidewater Research Station in Washington County, NC. The subsurface tile drained site has two plots that are being used in controlled drainage and two more plots that are in conventional drainage management. The site has continuously been monitored for flow data, water table data, and yield information. Soybean yield data was collected in November 08. The use of controlled drainage on this site increased soybean yields by 6.7 % during 2008. Water quality samples have been collected at this site during the period, but have not been analyzed to date. Currently, funds are being sought to facilitate this analysis. The second demonstration site has been identified and constructed on a producers farm (Steve Poole Jr.) in Beaufort County, NC, near the town of Bath. It is located in the Tar-Pamlico River basin. A conventional drainage management treatment was established along with a controlled drainage treatment. In 2008, the site was planted to corn. The use of controlled drained increased corn yield by 4.8%. The site has continuously been monitored for water table depth since the summer of 2008. Flow monitoring stations have been set up on the site and data acquisition was started on March 30, 2009. Implementation of the instrumentation and sampling devices for drainage water quality is still in progress. The third field demonstration site that will utilize the structures on subsurface tile lines has been identified. It is located on Eric Pierces farm in Farmville, NC. Four Agri-Drain structures have been installed on the site. There are four field plots on the farm. Two will be managed in controlled drainage and two will be in conventional drainage. Flow monitoring equipment has been installed at the site. Instrumentation of the site is still in progress. A field day in December of 2008 was held to introduce the project to NRCS agents, extension agents, Certified Crop Advisors, and producers from throughout the eastern part of the state. Presentations were given to explain the water management systems available to them, the management scenario of each system, the purposes of the demonstration sites, and the goal to develop the online-advisory system and a history of the yield data that was available for the area. Over 73 individuals attended the field day on 12-16-2008. An online web-site has been developed that will serve as a host-site for the water-management online advisory. The site has been designed to serve as a home page for individual producers on their personal computers. The primary objective of the new site was to promote the benefits of drainage water management. In addition to promoting conservation, the page has links for producers to relevant agricultural resources. The idea was to develop a site that would be utilized for producers as a home page that contains pertinent information used by them on a day to day basis as a draw for continual use of the site. The following link can be used to access the advisory. http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/drainageadvisory ND (North Dakota State University), submitted by Xinhua Jia: Project I. Tile drainage on agricultural production Importance: From the 1990s through the spring of 2009 excess water has significantly impacted crop production in the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota. Besides acres not seeded due to water logged conditions, excess water caused yield losses in most crops. Computer modeling of tile drainage in the region (Conducted by Dr. Sands, U of M Extension Engineer) suggests that delayed planting may be one of the most significant impacts of excess water on crop yield. Research field: In the summer of 2008 eight research units were established, each with 7 tile lines (180 feet long) and 25 feet apart, near Fargo ND. Control structures were installed and 4 replicates were established by closing four control structures to simulate non drained conditions and keeping four structures open to create tile drained conditions. The current research will investigate the yield response of commonly grown crops in ND and MN under tiled and non-tiled conditions. In addition to measuring yield, crop plants will be evaluated for disease and other growth characteristics. After identification of crop responses to tile drainage further studies will focus on fine tuning crop rotation, fertility management, and crop residue management. Short term goals: (1) Evaluate the yield response of soybean, dry bean, field pea, sunflower, canola, corn and wheat to tile drainage as compared to non-tiled field conditions. (2) Improve computer model predictions of long-term impact of tile drainage on crop yields in the region. (3) Monitor water table, soil water content and composition of water in observation wells. Medium term goals: Publish an Extension brochure that presents the cost and benefits of tile drainage and includes soil water data and other relevant information about tile based on the research conducted. Long term goals: (1) Refine crop management recommendations for tile drained conditions. Funding: North Dakota State University, MN/ND Hancor, Inc, Field Drainage, Inc., Minnesota Wheat Minnesota Wheat Research & Promotion Council, North Dakota Soybean Council, North Dakota Soybean Council, North Dakota Corn Council , ND State Board of Agriculture Research and Education, University of Minnesota, Total Amount so far $ 90,000.- Project II. Water quality monitoring of subsurface drains in Cass County The situation: Subsurface drains are perforated pipes installed about four feet deep and forty to fifty feet apart in agricultural terrain. Over the past ten years an increasing number of tile drains have been installed in the Red River Valley in response to excess precipitation, which has raised the water table, bringing salts to the root zone and reducing crop yields. Tiling enables the producer to reduce the effects of soil salinity on crop production and allows earlier access to otherwise saturated fields. There has been little monitoring of effluent from tile drains on saline affected soils; and the potential impact on surface water quality of the receiving waters in the Red River Basin is unknown. Extension response: NDSU Extension water quality specialists hosted a meeting in the spring of 2008 to discuss the state of subsurface drainage in the area. Among those present were land owners using tile drain, tile drain contractors, water board and soil conservation board members, hydrologists, soil scientists, agricultural engineers, and state agency representatives. Their consensus indicated little factual data of water quality coming through saline soils and suggested a monitoring project be initiated in Cass County. Impacts. The purpose of this monitoring project is to compile data to answer basic water quality concerns that until now had not been addressed. Project managers, working with the agriculturists will review data and develop farm management practices to reduce nutrient losses and increase our awareness of salt movement through soils in this area. Natural resource specialists, educators, legislators, and others may use this information to understand impacts to surface waters and assist land owners in future decisions based on the best available science in the Red River Valley. This data will also be used in future monitoring projects in the Valley. One cooperator from this project is now involved with the Discovery Farm Project, monitoring water quality on land utilizing manure management planning. Additional interest in data from this project has been received from local, state and federal agencies. Project III. Fairmount subsurface drainage project Importance: Tile drainage has been accelerated in recent years in the Red River Valley due to an extended wet weather cycle and rising water table. It is important to understand the impacts of water availability (quantity and quality) due to subsurface drainage. Controlled drainage and subirrigation have been practiced in other regions, but with the presence of high salts and sodium concentration, their effects to soil and water physical and chemical properties are not known. With Mr. Millers high interest and State Water Commissions initiation, this project becomes the pilot research in the State of North Dakota in the next two years. Research field: The research field was located at Fairmount, Richland County, and corner of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota. The experimental field is 116 acres, consisting of 50 acres of drained and 66 acres undrained. Of the 50 acre drained field, 25 acres will be used in the subirrigation study after the mid-growing season. The field has been modified to include two 10-ft alleys, which were permanently installed in both drained and drained-subirrigated plots and extend into the undrained plots. These alleys will be used for instrumentation setup, access for soil and water sampling and monitoring, and data retrieval. Objectives: The overall objectives of the research projects are: (1) demonstrate the use of tile drainage for subirrigation; (2) monitor changes in specific soil chemical and physical properties (EC, pH, bulk density, porosity, crusting potential, aggregate stability, total cations, total nitrogen, and plant available phosphorus) overlying the drained and drained-subirrigated areas; (3) monitor drainage water quality (total ions, EC, SAR, pH, trace elements) and determine ground water depth and water quantity in the drained, drained and subirrigated, and undrained areas; (4) conduct comprehensive measurements of the water mass balances of drained and undrained fields, with emphases on validation of evapotranspiration ET estimates by satellite-based remote sensing model (SEBAL) using a suite of ground-based measurements, including eddy correlation, scintillometer, and soil water balance methods, and on their inter-comparison; and (5) develop remote sensing algorithms for identifying fields with subsurface drainage installed. Collaborators: Thomas Scherer and Dean Steele, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, NDSU; Thomas DeSutter and David Hopkins, Soil Science, NDSU; and Xiaodong Zhang, Northern Great Plains Center for People and the Environment, University of North Dakota. NY (Cornell University), submitted by Larry Goehring and Tammo Steenhuis: Accomplishments. Two grant proposals were prepared and approved for funding which will provide more research investigation for water quality monitoring of subsurface drain discharges on dairy farms. One of the research grants aims to investigate the mobility and transport of E. coli and Salmonella as dairy manure is collected and then land applied to tile drained fields. The objective of the second grant is to evaluate controlled drainage as a method for reducing the impact of liquid manure applications to tile drained fields, where preferential transport may contaminate the drain discharge. Several candidate field sites have been selected and preliminary investigations are now underway. In cooperation with NRCS, revisions were made to The New York State Drainage Guide, to include more information regarding water quality considerations. The NY State Drainage Guide is now available and accessible as a web based document. A training session on Soil Hydrology and Drainage and Irrigation Principles was organized and presented at the annual Northeast Certified Crop Advisors Conference, and other extension activity included responding to tile drainage discharge water quality violations, whereby the drainage discharge was discolored from preceding manure applications. This resulted in making several presentations at farmer meetings and to the Agricultural Environmental Management Certification Subcommittee, a joint committee of the New York State Departments of Agriculture and Markets and Environmental Conservation, which addresses policy implications of CAFOs and provides training and certification of CNMPs (Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planners). Impacts. The need for more research regarding manure application impacts to tile drain discharges and to evaluate potential BMPs which might address these concerns has been met with the preparation and approved funding of the two proposals. This work will be targeted to areas where water quality violations have previously occurred, providing stakeholders some assurance that the problem is being evaluated and addressed. The outreach activities have resulted in greater awareness of the potential water quality impacts of tile drain discharges, so producers and nutrient management planners are paying more attention to identifying vulnerable tile outlets and adjusting their manure application methods, rates and timing accordingly. About 100 people attended the various meetings and training sessions.

[2008]Publications: Ale, S., L.C. Bowling, S.M. Brouder, J.R. Frankenberger, and M.A. Youssef. 2009. Simulated effect of drainage water management operational strategy on hydrology and crop yield for drummer soil in the Midwestern United States. Agricultural Water Management. (In Press). Appelboom, T.W., G.M. Chescheir, R.W. Skaggs, J.W. Gilliam and D.M.Amatya. 2008. Nitrogen balance for a plantation forest drainage canal on the North Carolina coastal plain. Trans of ASABE, 51(4):1215-1233. David, M.B., S.J. Del Grosso, X. Hu, E. P. Marshall, G.F. McIsaac, W.J. Parton, C. Tonitto, and M.A. Youssef. 2009. Modeling denitrification in a tile-drained, corn and soybean agroecosystem of Illinois, USA. Biogeochemistry 93:7-30. Jin, C.X., G.R. Sands, J. Wiersma, H. Kandel. 2008. The Influence of Subsurface Drainage on Soil Temperature in a Cold Climate. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering (ASCE) 134(1):83-88. Lawlor, P. A., M. J. Helmers, J. L. Baker, S. W. Melvin, and D. W. Lemke. 2008. Nitrogen application rate effects on nitrate-nitrogen concentrations and losses in subsurface drainage. Trans. ASABE 51(1): 83-94. Nangia, V., P. H. Gowda, D. J. Mulla, G. R. Sands. 2008. Water Quality Modeling for Impacts of Fertilizer Management Practices on Nitrate-N losses in Tile Drains at the Field-Scale. Journal of Environmental Quality 37:296-307. Naz, B., and L.C. Bowling. 2008. A decision analysis system for mapping of subsurface drainage systems. Trans. ASABE 51:1937-1950. Qi, Z. and M.J. Helmers. Soil water dynamics under winter rye cover crop in central Iowa. Vadose Zone Journal Accepted February 5, 2009. Salazar, O., I Wesstrom, M.A. Youssef, R.W. Skaggs and A. Joel. 2008. Evaluation of the DRAINMOD-NII model for predicting nitrogen losses in southeast Sweden, Agricultural Water Management, 96(2):267-281. Sands, G.R., I. Song, L.M. Busman, B. Hansen. 2008. The Effects of Subsurface Drainage Depth and Intensity on Nitrate Load in a Cold Climate. Transactions of the ASABE 51(3):937-946. Schilling, K. E., and M. J. Helmers. 2008. Effects of subsurface drainage tiles on streamflow in agricultural watersheds: exploratory hydrograph analysis. Hydrological Processes DOI:10.1002/hyp.7052. Schilling, K. E., and M. J. Helmers. 2008. Tile drainage as Karst: Conduit flow and and diffuse flow in a tile-drained watershed. Journal of Hydrology 349: 291-301. Singh, R., M. J. Helmers, A. L. Kaleita, and E. S. Takle. In Press. Potential impact of climate change on subsurface drainage in Iowas subsurface drained landscapes. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering Accepted October 29, 2008. Thorp, K.R., Jaynes, D.B and Malone, R.W. Simulating the Long-Term Performance of Drainage Water Management Across the Midwestern United States. Trans. ASABE 51(3):961-976. Thorp, K.R., M.A. Youssef, D.B. Jaynes, R.W. Malone, and L. Ma. DRAINMOD-N II: Evaluated for an agricultural system in Iowa and compared to RZWQM-DSSAT. Trans. ASABE. (In review) Extension or Non-refereed Publications Amatya, D.M., K. Hyunwoo, G.M. Chescheir, R.W. Skaggs and J.E. Nettles. 2008. Hydrologic effects of size and location of harvesting on a large drained pine forest on organic soils. In: C. Farrell and J. Feehan, Eds. After Wise Use  The Future of Peatlands: Proceedings of the 13th International Peat Congress, Tullamore, Ireland, 8  13 June 2008. International Peat Society, Jyväskylä, Finland. pp. 463-467. Baker, J., R. Venterea, and J. Strock. 2008. The Impact of Tile Drainage on Soil Carbon. In C. Schrader and J.S. Strock (eds.). Proceedings of 3rd Soil and Water Management Field Day, 15 August, 2008. Univ. Minnesota, Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton, MN. http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/soilandwater/08soilwater_proceeding.PDF. Beltran, B. D.M. Amatya, M.Jones, R.W. Skaggs, T.J. Callahan and J.E. Nettles. 2008. Impacts of fertilizer application on drainage water quality of a pine plantation in North Carolina. Paper presented at the Annual international Meeting of the ASABE, Providence, RI. Chescheir, G.M., D.M. Amatya, and R.W. Skaggs. 2008. Hydrology of a natural hardwood forested wetland. In: C. Farrell and J. Feehan, Eds. After Wise Use  The Future of Peatlands: Proceedings of the 13th International Peat Congress, Tullamore, Ireland, 8  13 June 2008. International Peat Society, Jyväskylä, Finland. pp. 468-471.Finland and Tallinn, Estonia: 195-208. Chescheir, G.M., R.W. Skaggs, and D.M. Amatya. 2008. Hydrologic impacts of converting grassland to managed forestland in Uruguay. Proceedings of Symposium, 21st Century Watershed Technology: Improving Water Quality and the Environment, Concepcion, Chile. Feser, S. and J.S. Strock. 2008. Drainage water management to improve edge-of-field water quality in southwest Minnesota. In C. Schrader and J.S. Strock (eds.). Proceedings of 3rd Soil and Water Management Field Day, 15 August, 2008. Univ. Minnesota, Southwest Research andOutreach Center, Lamberton, MN. http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/soilandwater/08soilwater_proceeding.PDF. Frankenberger, J., E. Kladivko, R. Adeuya, N. Utt, L. Bowling, and B. Carter. 2008. Determining the hydrologic impacts of drainage water management in Indiana, USA. pp. 134-141 in Proc. 10th International Drainage Workshop of ICID Working Group on Drainage, July 6-11, Helsinki, Finland/Tallinn, Estonia. Geohring, L.D. 2008. Identifying and Addressing Hydrologically Sensitive Areas for Developing Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans. In: CNMP Training Manual  Hydrologic Concerns. NYS Soil & Water Conservation Committee. Albany, NY. Geohring, L.D., S.W. Duiker, D.W. Wolfe, and P.A. Ray. 2008. NRCCA Soil and Water Management Study Guide. NRCCA Program, Macedon, NY. 73 pp. http://www.northeastcropadvisers.org/soilwater.pdf Harrigan, T.M., S.K. Haack and J.W. Duris. 2008. Evaluation of Bacteriological Water Quality Following Liquid Manure Application on a Desiccated Cereal Rye Cover Crop in Artificially Drained Cropland. ASABE Paper No. 080031. St. Joseph, MI.: ASABE. Hester, J., K. Nelson, and M. Nussbaum. 2008. Performance of a solar pump system for subirrigating corn through a subsurface drainage system. Greenley Memorial Research Center Report. pp. 33-44. Kladivko, E.J. 2008. Long-term tile drainage studies provide data for better reduction of nitrate leaching losses. No. 761-1. Agron. Abs. (CD-ROM) Kladivko, E.J., and J.R. Frankenberger. 2008. Nitrate-N loads to subsurface drains as affected by drainage intensity and agronomic management practices. pp. 8-14 in Proc. 10th International Drainage Workshop of ICID Working Group on Drainage, July 6-11, Helsinki, Finland/Tallinn, Estonia. Motavalli, P.P., K.A. Nelson, and S.A. Anderson. 2008. Impact of fertilizer source and drainage on spatial variation. Missouri Soil Fertility and Fertilizers Research Update. Agronomy Misc. Publ. #08-01:51-57. Nelson, K.A., and R.L. Smoot. 2008. MU drainage and subirrigation (MUDS) research update. Greenley Memorial Research Center Report. pp. 21-32. Qi. Z. and M. J. Helmers. 2008. Effect of cover crops in reducing nitrate-nitrogen leaching in Iowa. In: Proceedings of the 20th Annual Integrated Crop Management Conference (December 10 and 11, Iowa State University, Ames, IA), pp. 283-294. [Oral Presentation - Helmers] Qi, Z., M.J. Helmers, and P. Lawlor. 2008. Effect of different land covers on nitrate-nitrogen leaching and nitrogen uptake in Iowa. ASABE Meeting Paper No. 08-4806. St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. [Oral Presentation  Qi] Rice, P., W. Koskinen, S. Papiernik, and J. Strock. 2008. Evaluating the influence of drainage, application, and tillage practices on the dissipation of chloroacetanilide herbicides in minnesota soils. In C. Schrader and J.S. Strock (eds.). Proceedings of 3rd Soil and Water Management Field Day, 15 August, 2008. Univ. Minnesota, Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton, MN. http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/soilandwater/08soilwater_proceeding.PDF. Singh, R. and M.J. Helmers. 2008. Improving crop growth simulation in the hydrologic model DRAINMOD to simulate corn yields in subsurface drained landscapes. ASABE Meeting Paper No. 08-3571. St. Joseph, MI: ASABE. [Oral Presentation  Helmers] Skaggs, R.W. 2008. Drainage Water Management to Reduce Nitrogen Losses to Surface Waters. 16th National Nonpoint Source Monitoring Workshop, Columbus Ohio, Sept. 14-18, 2008. Skaggs, R.W. 2008. DRAINMOD: A simulation model for shallow water table soils, South Carolina Water Resources Conference, Charleston, SC, Oct. 14-15, 2008. Skaggs, R.W. 2008. Wetland Hydrology. Presented at Annual Meeting of the Society of Wetland Scientists, Washington, D.C., May 28, 2008 Skaggs, R.W., G.M. Chescheir, D.M. Amatya and J.D. Diggs. 2008. Effects of drainage and forest management practices on hydraulic conductivity of wetland soils. Keynote paper, Proceedings of the 13th World Peat Congress, Tullamore, Ireland. Skaggs, R.W. and M.A. Youssef. 2008. Effect of controlled drainage on water and nitrogen balances in drained lands. Keynote paper, Proceedings of 10th International Drainage Workshop of ICID Working Group on Drainage, Helsinki. Strock, J.S., M. Youssef, K. Oquist, G. Sands, and R.W. Skaggs. 2008. Use of DRAINMOD-NII to predict nitrogen losses under conventional and organic farming practices in Minnesota, USA. p. 15-20. Proceedings of 10th International Drainage Workshop of ICID Working Group on Drainage. Helsinki/Tallinn 6-11, July 2008. http://www.fincid.fi/julkaisut/IDW2008_proceedings.pdf. Venterea, R.T., J. Strock, and C. Rosen. 2008. Agricultural management effects on nitrous oxide gas emissions. In C. Schrader and J.S. Strock (eds.). Proceedings of 3rd Soil and Water Management Field Day, 15 August, 2008. Univ. Minnesota, Southwest Research and Outreach Center, Lamberton, MN. http://swroc.cfans.umn.edu/soilandwater/08soilwater_proceeding.PDF. Wright, P.E. and L.D. Geohring. 2008. Drainage guide for New York State. USDA-NRCS, Syracuse, NY. 83 pp. ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/NY/Engineering/publications/drainage_guide_ny.pdf Zhang, W., V. L. Morales, A. K. Sterle, B. Gao, L. D. Geohring, J. Y. Parlange, A. G. Hay, and T. S. Steenhuis. 2008. Quantification of capillary force acting on colloids in a three-phase model system of partially saturated porous media. H41F-0931. AGU 2008 Fall Meeting, San Francisco, California, December 15-19, 2008.