What regulatory or environmental restrictions apply to drainage of ag land?
Regulations and environmental restrictions applicable to drainage of agricultural land are generally specifically defined by state natural resource management agencies. Discharge of ‘drainage’ water may require a permit as part of the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES). Any lands which qualify as ‘wetlands’, under provisions defined by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), fall under very strict provisions which preclude drainage of such lands without appropriate offset or mitigation.
