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Vegetated Agricultural Drainage Ditches

Project Information
Client	State Water Resources Control Board
Type	Research/demonstration project
Size	Five tomato and alfalfa fields
Location	Yolo County
Status	Completed 2007

This collaborative, research/demonstration project installed and tested the effectiveness of vegetated field drainage ditches field-tested in local fields planted with alfalfa and processing tomatoes. The YOLO RCD collected detailed monitoring data to assess the vegetation’s ability to filter and remove sediment, nutrients, and pesticides (diazinon and permethrin). Researchers developed a mathematical model to describe ditch processes, and assist in predicting the length of vegetation area needed, in order to significantly improve water quality. This system has already proven successful in Mississippi, and the Yolo County RCD project focused on adjusting those techniques to work well with California’s specific cropping practices, soils, and climate.