News

Saturated Buffers: Proven Practice with New Surprises

A saturated buffer is a conservation drainage practice that targets nitrate in tile drainage discharge. A new Michigan State University study used a paired-field approach to compare a saturated buffer to a free drainage control field. This method allowed researchers to isolate the effects of subsurface buffer flow and controlled drainage, something previous studies couldn’t do.

Ninth Circuit Upholds Clean Water Act Exemption for Irrigated Agriculture

In a decision with major implications for Western agriculture, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the Clean Water Act exemption for irrigation return flows. The ruling in Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations v. Nickels affirms that discharges from irrigated agriculture are exempt from federal permitting requirements so long as they do not include additional point source discharges unrelated to crop production.

Conservation Practices in 2025 Scenarios: Implications for Future US Agricultural Policy

Nearly 25 years ago, the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation published an article explaining three alternative scenarios for Iowa Corn Belt landscapes in the United States in 2025—each driven by distinctly different agricultural policy emphases (Nassauer, Corry, and Cruse Citation2002). It is timely to revisit this work now when conservation funding through 2031, along with several other aspects of past farm bills, have been codified in the 2025 One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), but the extension of the 2018 farm bill is about to expire.

A GLRI Demonstration Project is Showing How Drainage Water Recycling Can Increase Yields for Farmers

While drainage can have numerous benefits to farmers, it can also have unintended negative impacts on the environment. Most notably, nitrogen and phosphorus can escape fields through drain tile and contribute to water quality issues—especially in intensively drained agricultural regions like the western Lake Erie watershed.

NACD Comments on USDA Reorganization

Conservation districts work side-by-side with USDA partners in local communities across the country, giving them unique insights into the impacts of USDA programs at the local, state, and national levels. As USDA considers changes affecting the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Forest Service, and mission support functions, we offer the following comments, questions, and recommendations.

Construction Suicide Prevention Week

September 2025 has been designated National Suicide Awareness Month and the construction industry has responded with Construction Suicide Prevention Week to address the unique problems within the industry.

Tips for Locating Underground Utilities Before Excavation Work

Municipal infrastructure managers and maintenance crew chiefs face growing challenges when it comes to safely performing excavation, digging or maintenance work. With an ever-expanding web of underground utilities, including water, sewer, drainage, fiber, electrical and gas lines, the risk of damaging critical infrastructure has never been higher.

Paired-field Evaluation of a Saturated Buffer Reveals Significant Water-Quality Benefits Through Upstream Weir Management

This study looked at how well saturated buffers—an agricultural conservation drainage practice—reduce nitrate pollution in farm runoff compared to free drainage. Researchers found that the upstream weir, which controls water levels before it enters the buffer, plays a bigger role in cleaning the water than previously thought.

Conservation Practices to Reduce Nitrogen Runoff into the Gulf of Mexico

While nitrogen application is necessary to grow healthy crops, only about 40-50% of applied nitrogen is absorbed by those crops. The rest goes into waterways, breaks down in the soil, or is converted and released as greenhouse gas. That’s where conservation drainage comes in.

Springfield Plastics Opens New Distribution Yard in Indiana

Springfield Plastics, Inc., a leading tile drainage manufacturer, is pleased to announce that our new 13-acre distribution yard and 1,440-sq.-ft. office and warehouse are now open in North Manchester, Indiana (1139 Taylor St.).

Drainage Contractor Tackles Drainage for the Future

A special, free e-book gives an overview of drainage for a changing climate and world, featuring interviews from recent Drainage Contractor features and columns, GroundBreakers and the North American Drainage Conference.

Controlled Drainage Isn't Just for Flat Fields Anymore

Controlled drainage has long been recommended for relatively flat fields, but new research from Michigan State University is challenging that recommendation. A recent paired-field study evaluated controlled drainage on a field where only 6.6% of the field was under water management and found a surprising 48% reduction in nitrate load.

FY 2026 Federal Funding Deadline Approaches – No Deal In Sight

Congress returned from its August recess last week and took no action on putting together a plan to avoid a Federal government shutdown. There are now 22 days until the end of the federal fiscal year when the government runs out of funding authority.

Post Pandemic Construction Boom Cools - Inflation, Tariffs, Worker Shortage Impact Industry

Injections of federal funding, coupled with pent-up demand from the pandemic shutdowns, created a robust construction market in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, signs of market softening began and continues into 2025.

Visas Blocked for Foreign Truck Drivers

Effective immediately, the Trump administration is blocking foreign drivers from obtaining visas to drive commercial trucks on U.S. roads. “We are pausing all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced via X on Aug. 21. “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”

US DOT Seeks Input on Highway Reauthorization Legislation

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking public input on issues that should be addressed when Congress takes up reauthorization of the surface transportation legislation over the next year. The information will help DOT prepare its proposal for the reauthorization effort.

Agriculture Reorganization Plan Gets Pushback

Union locals representing USDA employees are calling on the Trump administration to release a cost-benefit analysis behind the department’s reorganization plan. The plan calls for USDA to relocate thousands of staff from Washington, D.C., to five regional hubs: Raleigh, Kansas City, Indianapolis, Fort Collins, and Salt Lake City.

The Need for Farm Drainage and the Current Problem

Farm drain tiles are vitally crucial to the success of Illinois crop production. These underground drainage systems help provide good soil-based crop growing conditions by removing excess water from the soil. A balanced mixture of air, water, and soil is crucial for plant health, as excessive moisture can impede growth.

Role of Employers in Preventing Suicides

Suicide is a critical public health issue in the United States and a leading cause of death among working age adults. Creating a workplace culture of health and safety includes mental health.

Another Feather in Bioreactors' Caps

Tile drainage is a common practice used in agricultural fields to remove excess water, but it also transports harmful nutrients into water bodies, contributing to algal blooms that deprive aquatic life of oxygen. Woodchip bioreactors are an efficient way to reduce nitrogen pollution by treating the water as it exits the field.