Subsurface (tile) drains installed on agricultural land with poor natural drainage allows timelier field operation access and normally contributes to improved crop yields. Concerns over water quality and hydrologic impacts caused by subsurface drainage have led to an opportunity to improve some aspects of the practice. The overall objective of the project is to design, install and demonstrate water quality and quantity impacts of controlled drainage practices in the Red River Valley of the North and increase the acceptance and adoption of the practices. The project includes two field sites. Surface and subsurface runoff quantity are monitored continuously. Water samples are collected using automated water samplers and analyzed for nitrate-nitrogen. Meteorological information is collected using an automated weather station located within 2 mi. The meteorological information enables the calculation of crop water use utilizing the standardized Penman-Monteith equation and will support establishing the field water balance. In this document, we will discuss the project background and system design.
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