Supported Projects
Proud to support these current and past projects:
2023
Fishers and Farmers, Onalaska, WI
American Farmland Trust’s project proposal to Fishers and Farmers Partnership for the Upper Mississippi River Basin: "Farmer-Led Efforts to Improve Aquatic Habitat in the Lower Illinois-Lake Chautauqua Watershed" Project Proposal.
2022
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
"Increasing the Adoption of Controlled Drainage for Crop Production and Water-Quality Protection Using an Educational Decision-Support Tool" Project.
Iowa State University, Ames, IA
"Machine Learning Algorithm for Woodchip Bioreactor Optimization" Project Proposal.
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
"The Future of Drainage in Illinois - Configuring Combination Drainage/Subirrigation Systems" Project.
Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indianapolis, IN
RCPP, "Unlocking Societal & Environmental Benefits in The Kankakee Watershed by Expanding Conservation Efforts #2734" Project Proposal.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Washington, D.C.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s (NFWF) application to USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities funding opportunity for the "Chesapeake and Climate-Smart Commodities Partnership" Project Proposal.
City of Decatur, Decatur, IL
"Lake Decatur RCPP Water Quality Initiative" Project Proposal.
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
"Assessing the Efficacy of Automatic Drainage Water Management as an Environmental Infrastructure Improvement on Ohio’s Farms" Project Proposal.
2021
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant "Innovating Through Barriers for Bioreactors and Saturated Buffers" Project
2020
Ecosystem Services Exchange, Adair, IA
"Automated Drainage Water Management: Innovation to a Proven Conservation Measure to Improve Adoption, Water Quality, and Farm Economic Viability" Project
Iowa Dept. of Agriculture & Land Stewardship, Des Moines, IA
Iowa Systems Approach to Conservation Drainage (RCPP Project 1896)
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Washington, D.C.
ShoreRivers' NFWF Small Watershed Grant: "Automation of Agricultural Drainage Water Management Projects to Improve Water Quality and Streamline Verification"
The University of Illinois Foundation, Urbana, IL
Research associated with ABE469 Capstone Design
2019
Southwest Research & Outreach Center, Lamberton, MN
Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR)
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
"Increasing the Adoption of Saturated Buffers by Providing Site-Specific Information to Farmers for Informed Decision Making" Project Proposal.
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
"What's the real nutrient load reduction achieved using controlled drainage structures?" Proposal to the Ohio Department of Higher Education's Harmful Algal Bloom Initiative.
2018
Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Houston Engineering, Inc., Syngenta
"Activating Pathways for Agribusiness to Partner in Delivering Conservation" Proposal.
Practical Farmers of Iowa, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach under the leadership of Iowa Learning Farms
"Putting it Together: An Innovative Approach to Increasing Iowa's Conservation Infrastructure.
2017
Illinois Corn Growers Association, Bloomington, IL
Otter Lake Regional Conservation Partnership Program Application.
Security Seed and Chemical Company, Clarksville, TN
Advanced Precision Ag for Sustainable Conservation RCPP Application.
USDA/ARS Soil Drainage Research Unit, Columbus, OH
Grant proposal to investigate the use of unmanned aerial vehicles with visible, near infrared, and/or thermal infrared sensors to accurately measure soil surface topography,map drainage pipe locations, and delineate areas of poor soil drainage in a more efficient and economical way than is currently employed.
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Advisory Board of the project titled "Drainage Water Recycling Systems: Sustainably Securing and Managing Water in Agricultural Production.
National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, USDA/ARS, Ames, IA
Project titled "Edaphic Controls of Nitrate Removal within Saturated Riparian Buffers Established in Tile-Drainage Networks".
MetaMateria Technologies, Columbus, OH
Phase II SBIR proposal to the USDA on "Removal of Nutrients and Pharmaceuticals from Agricultural Drainage Water using Nano-Enhanced Media".
2016
Virginia Tech Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Blacksburg, Virginia
Advisory Board of the project titled “Strategies to optimize food productivity and increase agro-ecosystem resilience under climate and land use change”.
MN Agricultural Water Resource Center, Eagan, MN
Discovery Farms programs in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association, Macon County, IL
Precision Conservation Management (PCM) program, an Illinois LICA and Illinois Corn Growers Association project
Iowa Soybean Association, Ankeny, IA
"Adapting Saturated Buffers with a Sustaining Deep Rooted Carbon Source to Accommodate Sites with Low Soil Organic Matter or Low Gradient Fields".
University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Ten ways to reduce nitrate loss from drained lands: A comprehensive multimedia outreach package, a North Central Region Water Network funding proposal.
Sand County Foundation, Fond du Lac, WI
GBJF Enterprises Drainage Water Management Project in Southeast Wisconsin.
2015
City of Charles City, IA
Project to install Automatic Inline Water Level Control Structures™ on participating producers’ land to help establish water quality trading.
Iowa Water Quality Initiative, Des Moines, IA
Midwest Agriculture Water Quality Initiative Partnership.
West Florida Research and Education Center, Jay, FL
"North-South Technology Transfer: Subirrigation and Controlled Drainage Systems for Crop Producers in the Southeast".
Conservation Technology Information Center, West Lafayette, IN
"Training Ag Industry Advisors and Consultants on Conservation Systems that Protect Water Quality".
Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL
"Landscape Design for Sustainable Bioenergy Systems".
2014
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Fayette, IA
"Monitoring Nutrient Losses from Tile-Drained Fields in the Middle Cedar Watershed".
USA Rice Federation and Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Ridgeland, MS
Regional Conservation Partnership Program, an effort led by The USA Rice Federation and Ducks Unlimited.
Dept. of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Washington, D.C.
Saginaw Bay Regional Conservation Partnership Program, led by The Nature
Conservancy and the Michigan Agri-Business Association.
Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District, Morro Bay, CA
"Oso Flaco On-Farm Water Quality Implementation and Demonstration Project, and Morro Bay Agricultural Water Quality Enhancement Project"
Holt County SWCD, Mound City, MO
Partner with the Holt County & Nodaway County SWCD and Missouri Natural Resources Conservation Service under the new Resource Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Our commitment is to the Atchison/Holt/Andrew/Nodaway/Worth county project in Northwest Missouri.
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Central City, KY
"Use of Water Level Control Structures to Increase Crop Yields".
Electric Power Research Institute, Palo Alto, CA
The nutrient trading project in the Ohio River Basin. One site will be located in Indiana and the other in Ohio.
Auburn University, Biosystems Engineering Dept., Auburn, AL
"Optimizing soil moisture, nutrient management, and water quality in the Southeastern Coastal Plain and Black Belt Soils".
North Dakota State University, Dept. of Soil Science, Fargo, ND
"The Soil Health and Agriculture Research Extension (SHARE) Farm".
2013
North American Wetlands Conservation Council
"Wetland Enhancement and Restoration at Deal Island WMA"
This project is focused on improving water level management capabilities,
planting native emergent vegetation, and controlling the spread of invasive plant
species within the 2,800 acre impoundment. These management activities will
improve the quality of habitat used by migratory birds and other wildlife.
North Carolina Division of Soil and Water Conservation, Raleigh, NC
"Agricultural Input Management Program Controlled Drainage for Subsurface Tile Drains".
South Dakota State University, Dept. of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Brookings, SD
Project through South Dakota NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant Program to demonstrate and evaluate denitrifying drainage bioreactors placed on the edge of fields to reduce nitrate loads from subsurface drainage systems to receiving waters in Eastern South Dakota to demonstrate the efficiency of bioreactors in removing nitrates.
Missouri USDA-NRCS, Jackson, MO
"Drainage Water Management/Sub-Irrigation Water Gate Study at the South East Missouri State University Research Farm".
USDA-NRCS, Huntington Service Center, Huntington, IN
"The Wabash County Farm – Drainage Water Management Demonstration Plot managed by the Wabash County Soil & Water Conservation District in conjunction with the NRCS as a working model of conservation practices".
University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Dept. of Agriculture, Food & Resource Sciences, Princess Anne, MD
"Decreased Nitrogen And Phosphorus In Drainage Waters Using A Comprehensive Drainage Management Approach".
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Indiana Habitat Restoration Office, Warsaw, IN
"Northeast Indiana North American Wetlands Conservation Act".
PhosphoReduc LLC, Burlington, VT
"Implementation and Assessment of Innovative Technologies for Nutrients Removal and Recycling to Reduce Pollution and Protect Water Quality in the U.S."
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental Research, Science to Achieve Results Program
Proposal by Iowa State University, University of Iowa, and University of Illinois to create a National Nutrient Center to conduct water research, demonstration projects, and to develop sustainable nutrient management practices.
2012
National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, Ames, IA
“Reconnecting Iowa Riparian Buffers with Tile Drainage: An Emerging Technology to Reduce Nitrate Loss”.
PhosphoReduc LLC, Burlington, VT
Projects which utilize PhosphoReduc LLC design and systems for phosphorus removal from point and nonpoint pollution wastewaters and runoff.
Conservation Technology Information Center, West Lafayette, IN
The Indian Creek Watershed Project to demonstrate and provide information about conservation best management practices that are productive and profitable for Indian Creek producers.
Virginia Tech, Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Painter, VA
“A Coupled Biochemical/Biophysical System to Remediate Nutrients in Shallow Agricultural Drainage”.
School of Agricultural and Natural Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD
University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s FY2013 legislative budget request for additional funds to USDA Agricultural Research Service for collaborative research with universities designed to improve health conditions of the Chesapeake Bay.
Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Ottawa, Ontario
Project with Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre to distribute water control structures and other water management materials to farmers in the area to promote drainage water management.
2011
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
“Reducing Agricultural Nitrate Losses in the Embarras River Watershed Through Bioreactors, Constructed Wetlands, and Outreach”.
University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
“Phosphorus and Suspended Solids Reduction from Agricultural Tile Drainage in the St. Albans Watershed via Innovative Steel Slag Filtration Technology”.
Penn State Cooperative Extension, Lancaster, PA
“Innovative Treatment Technology to Filter Runoff from Animal Heavy Use Areas”.
Iowa Soybean Association, Ankeny, IA
“Technology Transfer of Denitrifying Bioreactor Operation and Conservation Drainage Placement”.
Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC), Waseca, MN
USDA/NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) to “Demonstrate and Evaluate
Saturated Buffers at Field Scale to Reduce Nitrates and Phosphorus from Surface
and Subsurface Field Drainage Systems”.
M & M Divide RC&D, Carroll, IA
Project to create animated videos to promote Best Management Practices;
including drainage water management, riparian buffers, wetlands, and bioreactors.
2010
Pitt County Soil & Water, Greenville, NC
Pitt County community garden and demonstration site.
Clinton Conservation District, St. Johns, MI
Upper Maple River Watershed Project.
Greene Soil and Water Conservation District in Xenia, OH, and Wilmington College
Greene County Soil & Water Conservation District Research & Demonstration Project.
Burns & McDonnell, Kansas City, MO
Johnson County Community College Stormwater Project.
Chariton County Soil and Water Conservation District, Keytesville, MO
“Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI)”.
2009
National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment, USDA-ARS, Ames, IA
“E2010-01 Reconnecting Iowa Riparian Buffers with Tile Drainage”.
Ultimate Home Design, Murrieta, CA
Ultimate Home Design and Hydraulic Stabilization Pond Project.
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
“New & Innovative Methods for DWM in North Carolina”.
2008
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC
“Innovative Drainage Water Management”.
US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC
“Market Feasibility Assessment for Water Quality Trading in Indiana’s Wabash River
Watershed”.
Agricultural Research Service, Washington, DC
Encouraging restoration of Source Water Protection Initiative Fund.
The Wetlands Initiative, Chicago, IL
Offered support for ongoing construction and management of wetland projects.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
Offered in kind support for Kelburn Heavy Clay Project.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
Hespler Sub Irrigation Project.
Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, Carver, MA
Offered support for grant associated with cranberry production.
2007
JF New, Walkerton, IN
Partnership in Restoration for Wetland Mitigation Project.
2006
Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC), Waseca, MN
USDA/NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) to demonstrate drainage water
management.
Ongoing Conservation Information Service Center Projects
National Crop Residue Management Survey