Drainage Economics

Researchers: Marvin T. Batte, Larry C. Brown

Abstract: This project explores the economics of drainage and related practices.  Three Wetland-Reservoir-Subirrigation Systems (WRSIS) have been constructed in Northwestern Ohio. These systems have the potential to improve downstream water quality by reducing discharge to streams, to provide wildlife habitat, to increase wetland acres and vegetation, and to provide a reliable supply of subirrigation water for sustained crop production. In a WRSIS, a wetland is constructed to receive subsurface drainage and runoff from adjacent cropland. The cropland is subirrigated with water provided from a supply reservoir that stores water received from a constructed wetland. The wetland, reservoir and subirrigated cropland are integrated to recycle runoff and drainage waters. The construction of all three sites was completed in 1996 and 1997. The objective of this study is to determine whether the WRSIS system is an economically sound capital investment for farmers. Estimates of private farm-level economic impacts for the adoption of WRSIS technology based on demonstration sites are reported for Northwest Ohio.

Papers:

	WRSIS - American Society of Agriculture Engineers (PDF Format)
	WRSIS - American Association of Agricultural Economics (PDF Format)
	Richards, Steven T., Marvin T. Batte, Larry C. Brown, Bernie J. Czartoski, Norman R. Fausey, and HW Belcher.  "Farm Level Economic Analysis of a Wetland-Reservoir Subirrigation System in Northwestern Ohio." Journal of Production Agriculture, 1999, Vol. 12, No. 4: 588-596.  (Copyrighted - See Journal)
	Batte, Marvin T., Venkatesh Sundaresan, Clark Mount-Campbell, and Larry C. Brown. Using Simulation Techniques to Estimate the Profitability of Agricultural Subsurface Drainage Improvements.  AED Economics Report AEDE-RP-0055-05, Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics, The Ohio State University, November, 2005.