Monitoring Water Quality and Hydrology of an Agricultural Subsurface Drainage System.

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 objective of this project is to design a monitoring system to characterize water quality and quantity impacts of subsurface drainage project located in Northwest Minnesota. The project include controlled drainage systems and a saturated buffer. 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 miles. 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 presentation I will discuss the project system design and monitoring equipment installation.