Justification for Water Table Management in Georgia

Abstract

Water table management (WTM) is the process of controlling the shallow ground water table to enhance crop growth conditions. WTM usually is construed to include three basic practices: drainage (removal of excess water by subsurface or surface systems), controlled-drainage (maintaining a controlled outlet for the drainage system to limit outflow and provide an additional source of water for plants), and controlled-drainage/subirrigation (maintaining control on the outlet, but also having the capability to add water back through the drainage system and artificially raise the water table). Drainage systems are the most elementary of the three and can be installed on a wide array of topographic, soil and land use conditions. Controlled-drainage (CD) and controlled-drainage/ subirrigation (CD-SI) systems are limited to areas which have minimal slopes {usually less than 1 percent) and where seasonally high water tables occur. These high water table conditions are an indication of an impeding or restricting layer in the soil which reduces or prevents the percolation/downward movement of water. This paper is primarily concerned with the development of CD and CDSI systems in Georgia. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the application area, federal and state restrictions, environmental and economic constraints, benefits and limitations for the development/expansion of water table management systems in Georgia.