Vertical drainage may improve soil salinity and moisture

Existing drainage systems in many clay fields of the Imperial Valley have failed to improve soil salinity and to provide moisture conditions favorable to crop growth. In some fields, these problems are exacerbated by saline artesian water from a shallow sand aquifer. This pilot-scale field study in the Imperial Valley indicates that vertical drainage is more effective than traditional tile systems in reducing artesian water levels and the overlying clay soil moisture, and should over time also reduce the salinity of these soils. The cost of a widely spaced drainage well system appears comparable to “splitting” existing drainlines.