Roxanne JohnsonExtension Water Quality Associate

February 24, 2009

Tile Drainage ForumNDSU

• Overview of Project– Focus Group– Funding– Cooperators– Preliminary

Results– What’s next?

• Focus Group – April 2008– Land owners– Tile drain installers– County, State and Federal Agencies

• County Water board members• Soil Conservation District board members and technicians • Health Department• NRCS• RC&D members• State Water Commission

– NDSU• Engineers• Soil Scientists• Hydrologists

Discussion included–Acres tile drained

•Do we really know?

–Permitting •Authority•Based on what?

– Impacts•Water Quality & Quantity•Neighbors -Red River – Lake Winnipeg

Discussion included– Reasons for subsurface tiling

• Increased precipitation• Higher water table• Earlier access to fields

North Dakota Annual Precipitation History

1900 - 2000

Discussion included– Reasons for subsurface tiling

• Increased salinity

Calcium carbonate

Magnesium sulfate

Sodium sulfate

Franzen 2007

Roxanne Johnson – Extension Water Quality AssociateThomas Scherer – Extension Agricultural EngineerSteve Fischer – Lake Agassiz RC&D Coordinator

Red River Valley Tile Drainage Water Quality Assessment

Phase I

Funding• 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution

ND Department of Health Fargo and Bismarck

• Cass County Soil Conservation District• CSREES Northern Plains & Mountains

Regional Water Program

• Cooperators– 10 land owner/operators

• Tile maps• Cropping and fertilizer

history• Soil tests• Precipitation

19 sites 2 lift stations 17 gravity flow

170 mile round trip32 weeks

385428Wheat

Installed 2007Acres drained 275

Lift Station

385428

385438

CornNorth of Erie

385438 June 2008

385444

Perched drain

CornDurbinMaple River

385444

385454 AlfalfaCornEmden

385454

December 5,2009

December 5,2009

Phase I

Yet to do:• Assess data• Determine information and education for landowners and general public

Phase II 2009

7 COUNTIES SAMPLE 1 TILE

DRAIN FOR WATER QUALITY

ONLY

CASS COUNTY INSTALLS

AUTOMATED EQUIPMENT FOR

FLOW RATE, WATER QUALITY,

AND PRECIPITATION

Phase II 2010

4 COUNTIES CONTINUE

SAMPLING 1 TILE DRAIN FOR

WATER QUALITY

GRAND FORKS, RICHLAND,

AND SARGENT COUNTIES

INSTALL AUTOMATED

EQUIPMENT FOR FLOW RATE,

WATER QUALITY, AND

PRECIPITATION

Phase II 2009-2013

Water quality samples taken at• Drain or lift station (automated sampler)• Downstream location within a mile from the tile outlet• Surface runoff of tiled field (automated sampler)• Surface runoff of comparable un-tiled field

Flow measurements taken at• Drain or lift station (flume/weir)• Surface runoff of tiled field (in automated sampler)

Soils must be salt affected

Soil Samples at 4 sitesRain gauges – Automated or Dewey

To determine the effect tile drain effluent from saline soils has on water quality in tributaries of the Red River.

Phase II 2009-2013

Project Coordinators and Partners:

• Work with SCD’s to locate proper sites for sampling

• Meet with producers as needed

• Build and/or install equipment

• Coordinate training of sample collectors and oversee the

collection and transportation of samples to the ND Dept of

Health

• Download data from the automated equipment at sites

• Develop BMPs for landowners

• Prepare and present results of the assessment to the

public

•

Phase II 2009-2013

Funding: North Dakota State Water Commission Cass County Soil Conservation DistrictEPA 319 Nonpoint Source PollutionCSREES Northern Plains Regional Water Quality Program

Red River Valley Tile Drainage Water Quality Assessment

Questions?