Waterways

      
      Phillip Huffman's waterway in Jefferson Township

A waterway is a natural drainage path in low lying areas of crop fields that are shaped to form a channel and then seeded with one or several types of grass.  Subsurface drainage tile is often installed on one or both sides of the grassed area.  Water runoff then flows through the grass in the channel, which in effect filters the water (removing soil, nutrients, pesticides). Waterways also prevent erosion by slowing down the water so that gullies don’t form.   Depending on the vegetative species, they may also provide cover for wildlife. 

Cost share programs are available for construction, as well as annual incentive payments under the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).