Final call to register for 2024 Drainage Workshop offering design concepts to increase profit

Ehsan Ghane<ghane@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering -

Learn from university specialists and drainage industry professionals in the 2024 Drainage Workshop on Feb. 27-29, sponsored by Michigan State University Extension in partnership with Michigan Land Improvement Contractors of America.

Participants siting at desks with computers in a classroom watching a presenter give a presentation.
Photo by Ehsan Ghane, MSU

Join Michigan State University Extension in partnership with the Michigan Land Improvement Contractors of America on Feb. 27-29, 2024, for the 2024 Drainage Workshop in East Lansing, Michigan. Learn from university specialists and drainage industry professionals.

Why should you attend the drainage workshop?

First, we offer a modern and straightforward approach to soil-water concepts and drainage design with user-friendly online tools and hands-on exercises. Second, we offer training in making contour maps with the free QGIS software and exporting the contours to your GPS design and machine software. Third, we offer a demonstration of drainage design software. Fourth, we offer a live demonstration of properly connecting a lateral to a main pipe.

Impact of workshop: Quotes from a one-year follow-up survey of former attendees

  • “It helped me better size outlets and spacing, saved me time with summer tile installation and gave me confidence that I was doing the right thing on my farm.”
  • “Helped me make the choice of tiling myself or sub-contracting.”
  • “It has helped me evaluate fields for planting. I do hay and I need to understand the wet areas.”
  • “Assisted me with helping landowners improve their drainage in a residential setting.”
  • “It helps me connect with my customers better. When I have a better understanding of what they do.”
  • A drainage contractor attendee who had also attended another drainage school had this to say: “… [the Michigan workshop] covers all of the necessary info needed to understand drainage installation.”

View photos of the 2023 Drainage Workshop.

What will you learn?

The drainage design process will include basic design considerations and a step-by-step design procedure. Other topics include:

  • Soils and water movement in soils.
  • Surface drainage (shallow ditches and grassed waterways).
  • Subsurface drainage principles and economics.
  • Selection of pipe style: 4-row or 8-row pipe? Sand-slot versus knitted-sock pipe?
  • Design procedure (a step-by-step guide to design).
  • Legal considerations of drainage.
  • Drain Spacing Tool to maximize profit.
  • Determining if drain sedimentation is a problem.
  • Properly sizing the main pipe to avoid drainage underperformance.
  • Determining if upsizing of the existing main is necessary when splitting lateral spacing.
  • Determining the original drainage coefficient used to size the main of an existing system.
  • Installation and safety.
  • Controlled drainage design.
  • Conservation drainage: controlled drainage, saturated buffer, blind inlet and shallow drains.
  • Making contours with QGIS free software and exporting data.
  • Demonstration of drainage design software.
A pipe in a field.
Live demonstration of proper pipe connection. Photo by Ehsan Ghane, MSU.

Registration

Register early for a 30% discounted price of $210 by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 1. The price will be $300 starting Feb. 2. Registration deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 23.

Register and download agenda

Contact ghane@msu.edu for any questions.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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