Introduction to Drainage

Drainage

​This is a method of removing excess water or lowering the water table from a marshy water-logged land.
It is also a method of land reclamation.

​Importance of Drainage as a Method of Land Reclamation

• To increase soil aeration.
• To raise soil temperature.
• To increase microbial activities in the soil.
• To reduce toxic substances from the soil.
• To increase soil volume for exploitation by plant roots.

​Methods of Drainage

• Use of open ditches.
• Use of underground drain pipes.
•  French drains.
•  Cambered beds.
• Pumping out water from the soil.
• Planting tree species which absorb a lot of water for example eucalyptus.

​Water Pollution

This is the process by which harmful substances get into the water.
The harmful substance is referred to as a pollutant.

Agricultural practices which pollute water include:

• Use of inorganic fertilizers.
• Use of pesticides.
• Poor cultivation practices such as over cultivation, cultivating along the river banks.
• Overgrazing which leads to erosion of soil thus causing siltation in water sources.

​Methods of Preventing Water Pollution

• ​Soil conservation measures which minimize soil losses through erosion.
• Fencing off the water sources.
• Adopting organic farming practices for example controlling pests and weed using non-chemical techniques.
• Planting grass along river banks to minimize siltation in rivers.
• Proper disposal of empty chemical containers.

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