Draining a marsh

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Radio interview source: Paul Sweeney, assistant state conservationist for operations, NRCS

On the north side of our pond is a marshy area that is teaming with wildlife. Birds, frogs, and other creatures call it home. It's also the water supply to the pond. I love marshes and wouldn't dream of draining ours.

But sometimes, having a wetland on your property is a big pain. Perhaps you'd like to develop the land for crops or other uses, or maybe the mosquitoes are just too much. Paul Sweeney is a state conservationist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He says in these cases, draining the marsh is an option.

"You could put a drainage tile in, or you could dig a drainage ditch -- there are a number of options," Sweeney says. "The key is, where's the water going to go? You've got to be able to get it to a lower elevation. Some producers are actually putting in tiles with what we call a control outlet structure."

This allows them to maintain the wetland for a period of time until they're ready to plant. Then, they "pull the plug", so to speak, drain the water out, and let the area dry up so they can put in their crop.