Potential Suitability for Subirrigation in the U.S. Midwest

<p>Subirrigation is the application of irrigation water below the ground surface to raise the water table to within or near the root zone. In areas with subsurface tile drainage, the same drains that remove excess water during wet periods can be used to provide supplemental irrigation to the crops during dry periods of the year. Potential subirrigation suitability maps are developed using numerical suitability criteria and the Gridded Soil Survey Geographic (gSSURGO) database. Numeric criteria were developed for land use, natural drainage class, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and representative slope to determine the potential suitability for subirrigation, and identify limiting factors for locations across the Midwest. Suitable land uses included cropland and pasture/hay from the National Land Cover Database. Maps are viewable through an online tool at <a href="https://transformingdrainage.org/tools/subirrigation-suitability-tool/">https://transformingdrainage.org/tools/subirrigation-suitability-tool/</a>. </p>

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