Video Text: "So, this in the water down here is the outlet for the tile that draws from about two miles away from conventional corn and soybean production and then comes under our grassland.  So, during times like this when there hasn’t been a big rain event, the water that flows through is all subterranean groundwater. If we get a big rain event, then the water flows into those open inlets in the neighboring conventional row crop ground and silt will come flowing through here turning that nice and chocolaty.  In the spring during the snow melt, we always give a daily monitoring down here to see the water that melts off the grassland. Our property is all in perennial crops and grassland.  What comes through this culvert is what has melted off the surface and is a pleasant light herbal tea color, but transparent.  Then it mixes with the chocolate color here."

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This page was last updated 8/08
Minnesota River Basin Data Center | Minnesota State University, Mankato
184 Trafton Science Center S, Mankato, MN 56001 | Phone: (507)389-5492 | FAX: (507)389-5493 | Email: mrbdc@mnsu.edu