Drainage / Conservation Webinars

Learn about Drainage Intensity and Drainage Coefficient with a simple example. Learn how the main pipe should be sized for best drainage performance.

Illinois-based LaVerne Weber, Grade Solutions owner and president and 2023 Drainage Contractor Groundbreaker, will offer a contractor’s perspective on solutions-based water management innovations.

University of Minnesota Professor and 2023 Drainage Contractor GroundBreaker Gary Sands focuses on the enterprise of managing water on the agricultural landscape to meet agricultural productivity and water quality goals. Design is one of the key aspects of that, as it helps mitigate the impacts of nutrient transport from agricultural lands to downstream water. Sands will focus on drain design principles.

Chad Penn, Research scientist, USDA Agricultural Research Service, will offer a brief refresher on phosphorus removal structures and their functions before diving into example designs and a walkthrough of P-Trap software, which is used in the design of such structures.

Purdue’s Dr. Jane Frankenberger led the $5 million Transforming Drainage project, which advances water storage in the landscape to increase resilience of drained agricultural land. Her talk will focus on online tools for improving and transforming drainage.

Keegan Kult is executive director of the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC). Formed in 2004, the ADMC aims to enhance crop production and improve water quality outcomes. It has provided training to more than 130 technical service providers and advanced the development of major conservation practice standards. Keegan will share the latest on ADMC’s recent achievements, goals and undertakings.

Over the last 13 years, Manitoba’s NextGen Drainage has experienced success and growth, from two full-time employees to more than 20. In 2019, it was recognized as one of Canada’s top 500 fastest-growing companies. Head of sales Mylen Dunbar discusses tile drainage from a contractor and business perspective.

The Conservation Drainage Resource Library provides readily accessible extension publications, educational resources, research reports, and other documents related to agricultural and conservation drainage.

In this demonstration, SWCS CEO Clare Lindahl, Keegan Kult, Executive Director of the Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition, and Chris Hay, Owner and Principal of Christopher Hay Consulting, provide a detailed walkthrough on managing water control structures for practices like bioreactors and saturated buffers.

In this session, delve into the intricacies of subsurface utility engineering (SUE) and the innovative Pointman GIS mapping software. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the importance of a accurately mapping underground utilities, the challenges associated with traditional methods, and how SUE techniques coupled with Pointman GIS can revolutionize utility mapping processes.

Ehsan Ghane

Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Michigan State University

Elizabeth Schwab
Visualizing Drainage Needs Under a Potential Future Climate

Andrew Margenot
Overlooked Non-Point and Non-Ag Sources of Nutrient Losses: The Case of Streambank Erosion

Dr. Andrew Margenot dives into hard data and research of streambank erosion and phosphorus loading to surface waters: Knowns, unknowns, and implications for nutrient loss reduction research and policy.

Presentations by industry experts focused on best management practices for dewatering protocols and in-stream work.

Spencer Pech
Designing Multi-Purpose Drainage Systems to Meet Modern Demands

This webinar will inform the watcher on 1) Why drainage is necessary, 2) types of drainage, 3) History and extent of drainage in the United States, 4) Soil water interactions, 5) Benefits of Drainage, and 6) Drainage Concerns.

This webinar is a result of an ADCM and Conservation Technology Information Center partnership to create resources for Ag Consultants on the benefits of conservation drainage.

In this webinar you will learn about the 1) Historical implementation of conservation drainage practices, 2) Effective outreach methods, 3) About a new framework to scale adoption, and 4) How to utilize a fiscal agent.

This project is through an ADMC partnership with the Conservation Technology Information Center to provide resources to Ag Advisors on the benefits of conservation drainage.

Learn about what a saturated buffer is, where they will work, how they are designed and installed, and how cost effective they are. This is webinar 3 of 6 discussing conservation drainage and is a result of a project between ADMC and the Conservation Technology Information Center to provide resources to Agricultural Consultants.

Learn about what a bioreactor is, where they will work, how they are designed and installed, and how cost effective they are. This is webinar 2 of 6 discussing conservation drainage and is a result of a project between ADMC and the Conservation Technology Information Center to provide resources to Agricultural Consultants

In this webinar viewers will learn 1) How to find NRCS conservation practice standards, 2) How to find payment rates, 3) How to evaluate payment scenarios, 4) How to find a TSP, and 5) About the Transforming Drainage Tools.

This project is through an ADMC partnership with the Conservation Technology Information Center to provide resources to Ag Advisors on the benefits of conservation drainage.

In this webinar, viewers will learn 1) What drainage water management is, 2) Where DWM will work, 3) Benefits of drainage water management, 4) Control structures used, and 5) Cost effectiveness.

This project is through an ADMC partnership with the Conservation Technology Information Center to provide resources to Ag Advisors on the benefits of conservation drainage.

Video 1 in the 4 part series from Transforming Drainage. An overview of drainage water recycling, what challenges are addressed by the practice, and why there is growing interest in the practice. (8:19)

Video 2 in the 4 part series from Transforming Drainage. An introduction to factors to be considered in planning, including site suitability, designing systems, experiences with permitting and regulations, and available resources for technical assistance. (7:38)

This video shows the goals, challenges, and implementation of a 5 acre reservoir and subirrigation system at a 100 acre field lacking a drainage outlet in southeastern Michigan.

Video 3 in the 4 part series from Transforming Drainage. Examples of drainage water recycling system construction, in Michigan and Missouri.  (5:02)

Video 4 in the 4 part series from Transforming Drainage. An overview of the management of drainage water recycling systems in Missouri and Minnesota, including managing reservoir water levels, irrigation scheduling, controlled drainage systems, and impacts on crop management. (5:41)

The Missouri Land Improvement Contractors Association and many others came together to construct a 13-acre reservoir and subirrigation system at a research site in Missouri. This video shows how a large project drainage water recycling project came together.

Minnesota researchers have monitored crop water needs to understand the yield benefits of drainage water recycling. This video highlights the challenges and considerations.

Steve Baker and Jennifer Furkin from Springfield Plastics, Inc. explain the impact a good drainage system can have on your farm operations and the financial benefits that come with it. Getting control of how your land drains water creates many profitable benefits for you that will last for generations.

Saturated Buffers are one proven conservation drainage practice used to reduce nitrate losses from subsurface drainage systems.