Managing Excess Water Focus of MN Workshops This Winter

Water management, especially in the Red River Valley, can often make or break crop production profit potential. Thus, subsurface tile drainage, planning, design and other ag drainage topics will be the focus of upcoming agricultural drainage design and water management workshops at Crookston, Moorhead and North Mankato, Minn.

The workshops will be held Feb 22, 2005 at Moorhead Area Conference Center at Courtyard by Marriott, Feb. 23-24 at the Northland Inn in Crookston, and March 1-3 at the Best Western Hotel in North Mankato.

The workshops are designed for tile drainage contractors, farmers, landowners, industry staff, crop consultants, and land use and water management decision-makers. The first day will cover water management planning and basic tile drainage design concepts. The second day will include hands-on layout and design problems, and the third day will emphasize advanced drainage design topics and current regional drainage issues.

Pre-registration is required by mid February. Contact Jean Spohr at the University of Minnesota, West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) in Morris at (320) 589-1711 or spohrjm@mrs.umn.edu to get on the mailing list for a registration flyer. Registration forms and program agenda will be available in January at the U of M Drainage Outlet Web site, http://d-outlet.coafes.umn.edu/

For more information on the programs, contact Jerry Wright, WCROC-Morris, ph 320- 589-1711, jwright@umn.edu; or Gary Sands, 612-625-4756, grsands@umn.edu.