Natural Resources Conservation Service

North Dakota

United States Department of Agriculture

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Drainage, Lateral Effects, and Drainage Water Management

Drainage is the practice of removing surface and sub-surface water from an area. Often drainage is used to improve crop production. Lateral effect refers to the extent at which the drainage influences the hydrology.

Common drainage policies and laws in North Dakota as well as information regarding lateral effects are found below.

The following document(s) may require Adobe Reader.

State of ND Drainage Rules

Visit the ND State Water Commission Regulatory Program for current information.

NRCS Drainage Information

EFH Chapter 19 - Hydrology Tools for Wetland Identification and Analysis
ND Minimal Effect Evaluation Procedure Worksheet (DOC; 55 KB)

Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) Assessments Applicable in ND

Pothole	Sandplain	Slope
Guide	Guide	Guide
Worksheet	Worksheet	Worksheet

Lateral Effects Calculator

The documents below may require Excel Viewer

> Adams	> Divide	> LaMoure	> Pembina	> Stark
> Barnes	> Dunn	> Logan	> Pierce	> Steele
> Benson	> Eddy	> McHenry	> Ramsey	> Stutsman
> Billings	> Emmons	> McIntosh	> Ransom	> Towner
> Bottineau	> Foster	> Mckenzie	> Renville	> Traill
> Bowman	> Golden Valley	> McLean	> Richland	> Walsh
> Burke	> Grand Forks	> Mercer	> Rolette	> Ward
> Burleigh	> Grant	> Morton	> Sargent	> Wells
> Cass	> Griggs	> Mountrail	> Sheridan	> Williams
> Cavalier	> Hettinger	> Nelson	> Sioux
> Dickey	> Kidder	> Oliver	> Slope

For more information contact:

Jonathan Petersen, State Hydrologist, (701-530-2082)

WETS Tables

The documents below require Adobe Reader

All PDF’s are 11 KB unless noted.

Climate Stations Map

(PDF: 666 KB)

Adams Lemmon	Adams Reeder	Barnes Linchville	Barnes Valley City
Barnes Leeds	Billings Fairfield	Billings Medora	Bottineau Bottineau
Bottineau LaMoure	Bottineau West Hope	Bottineau Willow City	Bowman Bowman
Burleigh Bismarck 12 ENE	Burleigh Bismarck WSFO AP	Burleigh Motffit	Burleigh Wilton
Burke Bowbells	Burke Powers Lake	Cass Chaffee	Cass Fargo
Cavalier Langon	Dickey Ellendale	Dickey Forbes	Dickey Fullerton
Dickey Oakes	Divide Ambrose	Divide Crosby	Divide Fortuna
Divide Wildrose	Dunn Dickinson Ranch HQ	Dunn Dunn CTR 1E	Emmons Hague
Emmons Linton	Foster Carrington 4N	Foster Carrington	Foster McHenery
Golden Valley Beach	Golden Valley Trotters	Grant Pretty Rock	Grant Shields
Grand Forks Grand Forks Airport	Grand Forks Grand Forks University	Grand Forks Larimore	Griggs Cooperstown
Hettinger Mott	Hettinger New England	Kidder Steele	LaMoure LaMoure
LaMoure Verona	Logan Napoleon	McHenry Drake	McHenry Towner
McHenry Upham	McHenry Granville	McHenry Velva	McIntosh Ashley
McIntosh Wishek	McKenzie Alexander	McKenzie Keene	McKenzie Watford City
McLean Butte	McLean Garrison	McLean Max	McLean Turtle Lake
McLean Underwood	McLean Washburn	Mercer Beulah	Mercer Zap
Morton Breien	Morton Hebron	Morton Mandan Exp Stn	Morton New Salem
Mountrail Stanley	Mountrail Tagus	Nelson Petersburg	Oliver Center
Pembina Cavalier	Pembina Pembina	Pierce Rugby	Ramsey Devils Lake KDLR
Ramsey Edmore	Ransom Enderlin	Ransom Lisbon	Renville Mohall
Renville Sherwood	Richland McLeod 3E	Richland Victor	Richland Whapeton
Rolette Belcourt	Rolette Rolla	Sargent Forman	Sheridan McClusky
Sioux Fort Yates	Sioux Watauga	Slope Amidon	Slope Marmarth
Slope Reeder	Stark Dickinson	Stark Richardton	Stark Theodore Roosevelt
Steele Colgate	Steele Sharon	Stutsman Courtney	Stutsman Edmonds Arrowwood Ref
Stutsman Gackle	Stutsman Jamestown Muni AP	Stutsman Jamestown State Hosp	Stutsman Medina
Stutsman Montpelier	Stutsman Woodworth 3E	Towner Hansboro 4NNE	Traill Hillsboro 3N
Walsh Adams	Walsh Grafton	Ward Berthold	Ward Foxholm
Ward Kenmare	Ward Minot Intl AP	Ward Minot Exp STN	Wells Fessenden
Wells Harvey	Wells Sykeston	Williams Tioga	Williams Williston Sloulin INTL AP
Williams Williams EXP Farm

Drainage Water Management

Water management is the control and movement of water resources to minimize damage to life and property and to maximize efficient beneficial use. Good water management of dams and levees reduces the risk of harm due to flooding. Irrigation water management systems make the most efficient use of limited water supplies for agriculture. Drainage management involves water budgeting and analysis of surface and sub-surface drainage systems. Sometimes water management involves changing practices, such as groundwater withdrawal rates, or allocation of water to different purposes.

Drainage water management can help increase production, keep nutrients on the field and send clean, filtered water downstream. The video below shows how landowners benefit from drainage water management.