Wood chips could help cleanse farm field run-off

Cornell hydrologist Todd Walter and his colleagues Larry Geohring and Tammo Steenhuis may have found a simple solution to a complex pollution problem caused by agricultural run-off: wood chips. By strategically placing organic matter to stanchion the water flow between farmers' fields and nearby ditches and streams, he hopes to trigger a natural chemical reaction in which bacteria capture nitrogen in the run-off and help transform it into less dangerous gaseous forms. According to Walter, associate professor of biological and environmental engineering, the drainage systems that help salvage wet fields can also help ferry pollutants into our water supply. "Tile drains" - which are actually perforated pipes - quickly whisk water away from fields before it has a chance to soak through landscape and benefit from natural "filtration" processes. This can lead to elevated levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and other nutrients found in fertilizer that feed algal blooms and rob waterways of oxygen needed to support fish and other life forms. CUAES invests in water management at research farms Whether the weather brings too much rain or too little, managers at Musgrave Research Farm will be prepared, thanks to a $50,000 project funded by the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station (CUAES). Approximately 1,500 feet of tile drain pipes now underlay 10 acres of fields at the Aurora, N.Y., research farm.