Summary:
This paper provides a comprehensive program that is necessary in mitigating the instances of water overflow in farmlands, something that has increased over the years due to the change in climate and unpredictable weather. It hopes to decrease crop damage, maintaining soil quality and improving farm output by resorting to modern drainage and flood control measures. Our team, with extensive experience in agriculture and environmental management, is ready to design and manage this project. With a proposed budget of $32000 to cover the necessary technology, labor, and maintenance costs, this solution will have major, long-term advantages for the farming community by eliminating the negative impacts brought about by excess water in the farmlands
Introduction:
One of the biggest problems farmers face is the overflow of water on their crops. Due to the change of the climate, flooding is much more common, becoming a major concern for farmers affecting their crop yields and soil. A 2021 report showed that the effect of flooding amounts to stunted growth, reduced yields, and generally costs the agricultural industry millions of dollars per year (Agritech Tomorrow 2021). During the rainy season, areas like the midwest can have rain that can reach up to 18 inches causing damage to many things such as crops, infrastructure, and loss of livestock life. These floods cause not only disturbance in the crops, but also the schedule of farmers. Farmers like Joshua Manske who runs farms in Iowa and Minnesota “plan their days around the forecast” (Elkadi 2024). Farmers say that the weather conditions can cause a delay in harvesting because the overflow of rain will damage the crops and cause a whole new process of replanting, thus increasing work and time. Along with crops getting destroyed, soil also is affected. Excessive flooding also causes soil erosion. Key nutrients in the soil are depleted by the water and cause plants to not be fully developed. The overflow of water also impacts livestock present because the rain water becomes mixed with other chemicals causing it to be contaminated. It contaminates the water and also the food supply causing the lives of the animals to be at risk.
The background of this issue highlights both natural and human-driven causes: increasing rainfall due to climate change, inadequate drainage infrastructure, and high water tables in many farming areas. Therefore the following proposal shall focus on offering a sustainable solution by integrating drainage systems with flood control measures that will surely protect farmland from water overflow. Using insights from various agricultural studies, this proposal seeks to deploy a combination of subsurface drainage, retention basins, and controlled release systems to manage excess water effectively (Minnesota Extension). This project’s scope includes implementing and testing these systems across selected test sites, with an initial focus on installation feasibility and projected outcomes. By using this solution farmers will save up on work and money, while the safety of their crops increases.
The organization of this proposal is as follows: a project description, covering the feasibility, benefits, and methodology of the proposed solution; a detailed budget breakdown; a conclusion summarizing the project’s value; and references to the supporting research. Key terms in this proposal include “subsurface drainage”a method to remove excess water from below the soil surface), “water retention basin” (a temporary storage area for floodwater), and “controlled release” (an approach to gradually release water to minimize overflow risk).
Project Description:
The solution proposed involves integrating advanced drainage and flood management techniques tailored for agricultural land. This includes using subsurface drainage to prevent soil saturation, water retention basins to capture excess water, and controlled release mechanisms to manage water discharge sustainably. Collectively, these measures provide immediate and long-term benefits by maintaining the productivity and resilience of farmlands against water overflow.
Subsurface Drainage Installation:
Installing a subsurface drainage system is effective in combating overflow of water on farmlands. Subsurface drainage or tile drainage are sets of pipes placed usually 3 to 6 feet below the soil surface. Excess water from flooding flows into these pipes and will flow away to another place. The pipes benefit the crops because as the water enters and flows somewhere else, it prevents the land from being too saturated. According to the University of Minnesota installing subsurface drainage pipes creates “a better environment for crop emergence and early growth” (Minnesota Extension). When the excess water gets drained, it allows for the water table, the underground area saturated with water, to be lowered down. As excess water gets drained out, it prevents waterlogging from occurring. Waterlogging occurs when there is too much water where the plants roots are supposed to be. When water gets drained away it allows for better conditions for the plant to grow in like allowing more oxygen for the roots so that they can take up more space. This enhances the crop yield and creates better production. In order to get the installation done, we need to conduct a feasibility study to see the specific designs of the drain needed for the sites in concern.
Water Retention Basins:
Another way we recommend to deal with excessive flooding are water retention basins. Water retention basins are highly recommended during times of extreme rainfall. These basins serve as reservoirs to store runoff water in advance. The construction of them helps in mitigating heavy rainfall for irrigation purposes. They “temporarily hold excess water, preventing it from overwhelming land” (Future Food Solutions). As these basins are filled with water, they are beneficial for water usage later. When the rainy season passes by, the stored water in the basins can be used during dry periods to support the development of the crops. Not only to crops, but water retention basins also benefit livestock as well. Water from floods gets mixed with other chemicals and becomes contaminated making it not safe to drink. When the water is stored in the basins, it becomes a reliable source of water for animals to drink from. The basins will be at the edges of the fields and their size will be designed based on the precipitation rates and the soil absorption rates.
Controlled Release Mechanisms:
With the water retention basins, there will be controlled release structures or adjustable outlets to regulate the amount of water released from both the drainage systems and the basins. This will allow farmers to modulate water levels according to soil moisture conditions; hence, under and over-draining can be avoided. In sum, the controlled release method minimizes the probability of erosion and advances the effectiveness of water management; therefore, a more resilient farming system can be guaranteed.
Feasibility:
Such a solution is feasible because the same methods were highly successful in other areas. As USDA studies show, the water damage is drastically reduced and the more healthy crop yields are significantly encouraged by controlled drainage due to controlled soil moisture (National Institute of Food and Agriculture).
Benefits and Consequences:
The benefits that will occur from this solution is that it will improve the health of soil, resilience of crops, and control of floods. Key nutrients from the soil will be protected so that they can be used for developing crops. As that happens, it will lead to an enhancement in crop yields. These systems also allow for water to be saved. The water basins can store excess water and hold it until it can be used later, preferably during dry periods. And an effective drainage system will benefit livestock by protecting their water supply.
Methodology and Resources:
The work will involve subsurface drainage systems, water retention basins, and monitoring sensors for soil moisture and water flow. Resources include but are not limited to perforated drainage pipes, basin liners, water pumps, and sensor equipment. Installation labor for these systems and maintenance post-installation is required. Periodic training with farm workers and locals will provide continued use of installed systems. Before any installation, first the field will be examined. Areas of poorly drained soil will be looked at first because those are the areas water tends to exceed. Once that is figured out, it will be determined how deep the pipes will be placed below the soil. It’s going to be placed between 3 and 6 feet, but the exact height needs to be determined in order for water to flow smoothly. The water basins that hold excess water will be on the edge of the fields all connected together. It will first be looked at to see which edge is best because the water is supposed to be at the lowest slope of the farm so that more water can be filled up. Training will include proper use of all the systems set up and maintaining everything. After everything is set up, maintenance will be essential in the use of these systems so that they don’t become ineffective. The best time to check on the basins and the drainage pipes is before the rainy season, typically 1 month before it. It should be checked 1 month before just to be the best prepared when the actual rain comes.
Obstacles and Objections:
A potential obstacle of this is the initial high cost of the setup and disruption of land when installing everything. However even though the initial cost is high, it will benefit the farmers because these systems will eventually pay off. The return on investment will be a very significant return. Every year, farmers have to pay for infrastructure so their crops will be protected. As flood levels get higher, the things they use won’t be effective. Therefore, even though the price will be high to install these things, they will actually be paying less every year because since the drainage systems are already there, the excess is mostly taken care of. Along with lower prices paid every year, the amount of work they have to do is also reduced and the effectiveness they get from these systems is higher than if they were to use anything else. To get a minimum in the disruption of the land, first assessments on the site will first happen. A test on the soil of the site and the ecology will help, we can figure out how to work with the benefit of the land rather than causing disruption. Instead of going very deep into the soil, we can find areas that won’t disrupt the soil and still create efficient drains.
Budget:
The budget for this project is estimated as follows:
- Materials and Equipment: $15,000
- Subsurface drainage pipes, basin liners, pumps, sensors
- Labor and Installation: $10,000
- Professional contractors for initial setup
- Monitoring and Maintenance: $5,000
- Routine system check-ups and technical support
- Community Training and Education: $2,000
- Workshops and informational sessions for farmers
The total estimated cost for this project is $32,000. Each acre of land takes up $1850 to $3700 (Progressive Farmer). With our budget, this drainage system can cover up to 17 acres of land.
Conclusion:
The solution proposed water overflow in farmland will be highly effective and multi-level, which increases agricultural resilience and productivity. Subsurface drainage systems tackle waterlogging from its roots so that the crops can have a well drained atmosphere to grow healthily. The construction of water retention basins help in mitigating heavy rainfall due to the captured excess water and stores it for irrigation purposes during arid periods. Finally, incorporating mechanisms for controlled release will provide farmers with better options regarding water flow controls to minimize erosion hazards while allowing for optimal retention of soil moisture. Integrating all these things will lessen flood impacts, protect the quality of soil, and safeguard crop yields, hence contributing to a more viable future for farming communities. Through this system of draining farmers can keep their farmlands safe at a high level while also reaching productivity at a high level.
Sources:
AgriTechTomorrow. (2021, July 21). Protecting farms against floodwater: 8 advanced techniques. AgriTechTomorrow.
Guide, A. (2024, August 15). Flood control: Top techniques for farms. The Farming Insider. https://thefarminginsider.com/flood-control-techniques-for-farms/
Sands, A. G. R. How agricultural drainage works. Extension at the University of Minnesota. https://extension.umn.edu/agricultural-drainage/how-agricultural-drainage-works#seasonal-water-balance-1362413
Delheimer, S. Improving drainage management on agricultural lands. National Institute of Food and Agriculture. https://www.nifa.usda.gov/about-nifa/blogs/improving-drainage-management-agricultural-lands#:~:text=Drainage%20reduces%20soil%20compaction%2C%20makes,crop%20damage%20from%20excess%20moisture
University of Wisconsin Extension. What happens to your crops in flooded fields?. Crops and Soils Extension. https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/articles/what-happens-to-your-crops-in-flooded-fields/#:~:text=Flooding%20can%20 erode%20soul%20and,stunted%20growth%20and%20lower%20yields
BTL Liners. The importance of drainage systems in agriculture. https://www.btlliners.com/the-importance-of-drainage-systems-in-agriculture
DTN Progressive Farmer. (2024, June 21). Drainage tile drives yield. DTN Progressive Farmer. https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/crops/article/2024/06/21/drainage-tile-drives-yield-also#:~:text=For%20many%20farmers%2C%20the%20math,to%20an%20outlet%20or%20ditch
