2026 Saturated Buffer & Woodchip Bioreactor Partnership

On August 13^th in the Lake Decatur watershed, three types of edge of field practices designed for water quality enhancement were showcased during a public field day: automated drainage water management, woodchip bioreactor, and saturated buffer. The field day and installation of these tile drainage treatment practices, also known as conservation drainage practices, were made possible through the cooperation and collaboration of a number of different organizations with shared water quality interests and efforts within the watershed.

Through their Lake Decatur Watershed Farmland Conservation Program, the City of Decatur regularly invests in the design and implementation of various soil and water conservation practices as a local leader within the watershed. Supplementing these existing watershed efforts and with the help of a new grant, Ecosytem Services Exchange (ESE) has recently been designing conservation drainage practices for landowners within a seven-county area of Illinois that includes Piatt County at no charge to help drive nutrient loss reduction efforts within the Lake Decatur watershed and the greater Illinois River Basin. Leveraging both of these on-going technical and financial contributions within the watershed and joining forces with the City of Decatur and ESE to help host the field day and implement its showcased practices were the Agricultural Drainage Water Management Coalition (ADMC) and two statewide partnerships (Woodchip Bioreactor Partnership & Saturated Buffer Partnership), comprised of Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB), Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association (ILICA), Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service (ILNRCS), University of Illinois (U of I), and Southern Illinois University (SIU). A very unique and coordinated effort that emphasizes the commitment of both the conservation and ag industries in helping Illinois meet its nutrient loss reduction strategy goals.

The field day, held tour bus stop style, began at the Cisco Center (Cisco, IL) with opening remarks from supporting partners before visiting the conservation drainage practices nearby. Two of the practices, woodchip bioreactor and saturated buffer, were under construction during the field day, while the automated drainage water management practice had been installed previously in the year. At each site, visitors learned about the nitrate removal processes and benefits of each of the practices. Being onsite, they were able to see what the practices and materials looked like installed, as well as experience where the practices fit best on the landscape.

Treating approximately 27 acres, the woodchip bioreactor on the Clarkson farm near Cerro Gordo measured 12’ x 48’ (104 cu. yd.) and was installed on an 8” tile main; one of two bioreactors being installed that week between the various partners’ initiatives in the watershed. Around the corner, the automated drainage water management structure installed earlier in the year manages 85 acres across the road from the Clarkson woodchip bioreactors on an 18” tile main. Closer to Monticello on the Stoddard farm, the saturated buffer was installed within an existing CRP buffer alongside a ditch running 1,300 linear feet. With its dual lateral design, the saturated buffer treats nearly 110 acres that drain through a 15” tile main. Similar to the Clarkson farm activities, a woodchip bioreactor was under construction on the other side of the ditch the very same day from partners’ combined efforts within the watershed.

Illinois LICA would like to thank Seevers Farm Drainage, WRS Earthworks, and Magsamen Backhoe for completing the woodchip bioreactor and saturated buffer installations on behalf of the Association, as well as all the partners and volunteers involved with the projects and the field day. Thank you also to Agri Drain, Xylem, Springfield Plastics, JCG Midwest Drainage Products, and ADS who supported the installations with donated and discounted materials.

Additional construction and field day photos may be found at: https://www.illica.net/projects.