outdoors

And yet, ditching and tiling in both the US and Canada continues unabated. Granted they are not the primary cause of the severe flooding, but it does add to the problems of flooding. Look here in MN at the Mn River and how many flood events Shakopee has had in the last 20 years compared to historically. So what has changed compared to years ago that we have flooding in the summer time? Ditching and tiling is the smoking gun compounding the flooding. And do we really think Congress will come to the conclusion that they screwed up with their Ag policies which often forced ditching onto the landscape where many did not want it back in the '60 and 70s? Or their current policies of "fence row to fence row" production which adds further pressure on farmers to ditch and tile with the very high prices--and yet we taxpayers are still subsidizing corporate welfare to the big Ag COs making it financially possible for them to continue to do this ditching and tiling? Lets grade Congress and their Ag policies. I'd give them a solid D-. We all know they will not point the finger at them selves--yet that is exactly where the blame lies for exacerbating the flooding and the massive changes to the natural landscape and screwing up the eco system of the the northern plains of the US.

Spot on with your comments.They have made it so efficient and so fast to drain the prairie in the spring during breakout.The river drainages can't handle all that outflow from the land.Until they let it perc naturally back into the land,the problems will not be solved.I will bet that even the underground water table has changed and gotten lower.

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h2ofwlr, Drainage actually helps flooding as hard as it is to beleive. The drain tile removes the water slower than surface waters when they are filled to capacity. Part of the problem in Shakopee is our Dew point is higher and we are getting more and larger rain events. Another part of the problem since 1975 is the Dikes built to protect Cities up stream. The dikes force the water down stream instead of have the water be in a holding pond to slow up the movement of the river. And be careful about farm subsidies. Most years the subsides are the only profits farmers have. I know many farmers that invest these subsidies to conservation practices. These subsidies help provide habitat thus making a larger bird and fish populations.