Smarter drainage, stronger soil: Practical advice from the field

When it comes to managing water on the farm, few people bring as much practical experience to the table as James Ramsey of Ramsey Farms Ag Enterprises.

A drainage contractor based in Shelby County, Ramsey shared insights at a recent Drainage and Erosion Field Day—offering local farmers a straight-shooting look at drainage water management systems, erosion control, and how good planning leads to better yields.

Ramsey, who runs the family business alongside his father and brother, has installed everything from full pattern tiling systems to complex legal drain reconstructions. And his bottom line is clear: "I don't sell or suggest anything to anybody that I won’t do on my own."

Moving beyond “just get the water off”

Modern drainage systems are no longer just about removing water—they’re about managing it.

Ramsey explained that his team now designs tile systems with contour and elevation in mind, aiming for consistent water table management across entire fields.

“Our goal is to manage the whole field down... generally speaking, at a managed water level all the way across,” he said. “We follow the contours and the elevations to go with that.”

This shift in thinking also supports environmental goals—especially when it comes to keeping nutrients like nitrates on the field rather than washing downstream.

What is drainage water management?

Drainage water management (DWM) involves installing control structures that allow farmers to adjust how much water leaves their fields—and when. 

As Ramsey explained, “The main goal is nitrate—trying to allow that nitrate to attach to the soil, give it time to settle out, instead of just washing down the stream.”

Holding back water in winter can help nutrients stay in place. Releasing it in the spring preps the soil for planting. Holding water again in early summer can even provide a kind of subsurface irrigation, giving crops an extra edge in dry conditions.

But it’s not without challenges.

“These systems take management,” Ramsey said. “It’s a lot of work to constantly be moving these boards.”

He noted that universities and research farms can delegate the daily work to interns—but for most working farmers, managing DWM structures is a hands-on task that requires ongoing attention.

Know your ground

One of the biggest limitations to drainage water management is topography. 

“It’s made for flatter soils,” Ramsey said. “Your rolling ground—it gets cost prohibitive to install.”

Farmers also need to consider legal boundaries. If water is going to back up onto a neighbor’s land, you’ll need their written permission. NRCS recommends no more than two feet of elevation change within a managed control zone, to ensure effective function and minimize unintended consequences.

Thinking long-term: Tile design and yield

Ramsey emphasized that proper tile layout makes a difference—not just for water management but for long-term profitability.

“A lot of times when guys come in there and just want to plow through the hills at four, four and a half feet deep... you lose some of that efficiency,” he said. “Instead of going through the hill deep, we’ll come up on both sides of the hill, maintaining that 32 inches of depth. But... we find a higher return on investment.”

Other erosion and water management tools

Ramsey also highlighted a few other NRCS-supported practices that improve water quality and reduce maintenance:

• Two-stage ditches: By widening the ditch and adding vegetated benches, you slow water flow and reduce bank erosion. “It almost eliminates [erosion] completely,” he said.
  
  

• Blind inlets: These replace above-ground surface inlets with subsurface systems you can farm right over. “They look great. They work great. Fantastic,” Ramsey said.
  
  

• Denitrifying bioreactors: These are essentially large woodchip-filled trenches that filter water as it exits the field. Ramsey has installed them on Purdue farms and sees promise in improving nutrient retention.
  
  

• Saturated buffers: Though less suitable in Indiana due to soil organic matter requirements, these systems allow tile water to seep through soil along a streambank, filtering nutrients before they reach waterways.
  
  

What landowners can do to get started

If you’re not sure where to begin, Ramsey offered several practical suggestions to make water management more achievable—starting with what you already have:

• Start with good tile design—even if you’re not ready for a full DWM system.
  “Maybe drainage water management isn’t a thing for you right now,” Ramsey said. “But taking a little more time up front can pay off down the road.”
  
  

• Know where your tile is.
  If your current system isn’t mapped, consider working with a contractor to document it. “Everything has to be mapped,” he said. “If the systems are from the mid-90s... you may have to go in and locate every tile.”
  
  

• Ask your SWCD or NRCS office about financial assistance.
  Programs like EQIP can help offset costs, but you’ll need a certified technical service provider (TSP) to develop a plan. “You guys can’t write the plan,” Ramsey said. “You have to have somebody that’s certified in writing those.”
  
  

• Look into blind inlet conversions.
  If you have surface inlets on your property, NRCS may pay to convert them to subsurface blind inlets you can farm right over.
  
  

• Make incremental improvements.
  Whether it’s adjusting your tile pattern or exploring two-stage ditch options, you don’t have to overhaul everything at once. “Even just narrowing up your tile spacing in ponding areas can make a big difference,” Ramsey said.

Final thoughts

Ramsey doesn’t sugarcoat the complexities—or the benefits—of water management systems. And he believes the payoff is real, especially when farmers take time to plan and design systems properly from the start.

“Drainage water management might not be something that’s on your radar right now,” he told attendees. “But taking a little more time up front—just being thoughtful about how you lay out tile—can pay off down the road.”