Please direct all questions and comments to Dr. Christian De Kimpe Surface drainage Surface drainage systems remove water from the soil surface but are not usually designed to lower the water table in the soil profile. In some cases, this type of drainage system may be enough to allow the field to be farmed. Shallow, open ditches are often used to drain depressions in a field that collect surface runoff.
Shallow ditches can remove surface water from large areas that have been graded and leveled.
Deeper ditches are used to intercept overland flow and seepage, preventing the water from entering the farm. Field ditches normally discharge water to larger channels, which in turn convey runoff to watercourses, rivers, and lakes. Surface drainage systems have several advantages. They have low initial costs, carry large volumes of water, remove surface water rapidly, and are easy to construct. However, they do not solve problems related to soil saturation caused by a high water table.