Agricultural & Drain Tile Mitigation

Drain Tile Mitigation

The NEXUS Drain Tile Mitigation Plan (DTMP) was developed to facilitate collaboration with landowners to ensure advanced planning and to minimize the potential impacts to drain tile systems. The DTMP serves as a set of guidelines to manage, mitigate and repair draining systems. The plan can be tailored or expanded as appropriate to address any site-specific information that may be obtained in the future.

Drain Tile Mitigation Plan.pdf

Planning

NEXUS works with landowners throughout pipeline routing and construction to identify drain tile systems and better understand specific drainage needs of each individual property.

Some questions that are asked to better understand the drain tile setup are:

• What is the size and location of all drain tiles on the property?
• What is the layout and direction of all drain tiles?
• Where is the collection outfall of the drain tiles?
• What is the composition of the drain tiles?
• Approximately how deep are the drain tiles?
• Who originally installed the drain tile field?

Landowner-provided drain tile diagrams help NEXUS to understand each individual property’s drainage needs, and to develop a plan and solution to restore all affected drain tile more efficiently.

Topsoil

Topsoil is stripped and stockpiled separately from the subsoil and returned after installation of the pipeline; restoring the ground to as near as possible to the original contour. Topsoil is never used for pipe padding material or trench backfill.

In instances where the topsoil layer is less than 12 inches, every effort is made to segregate the entire topsoil layer; and where the topsoil layer is more than 12 inches deep, at least 12 inches is segregated.

Gaps are left in the topsoil piles to allow water to be diverted from the construction work areas.

Topsoil and subsoil is regularly tested for compaction in agricultural areas disturbed by construction activities. Tests are conducted on the same soil type under similar moisture conditions in undisturbed areas. Severely compacted areas are plowed with a paraplow or other deep tillage implement.

Construction

During the entire construction process, an experienced construction team oversees all construction activities to monitor that all agreements between NEXUS and landowners are met.

NEXUS works with landowners, drain tile system designers/engineers, inspectors and contractors who are knowledgeable with local conditions to ensure that drain tile systems are restored to the original state or a condition that is comparable and fully functioning.

All permanent drain tile repairs performed by NEXUS are made prior to replacement of the topsoil and repaired in a manner that restores the drain’s proper operating condition.

Except at certain above ground facilities such as block valves and meter stations, the pipeline is buried below the drainage tile. If drainage tile is cut or damaged during pipeline installation, it is repaired with materials of the same or better quality, depending on the arrangement with the landowner.

Following the completion of the pipeline, the right-of-way is restored to its original pre-construction elevation and contour.

Restoration

As necessary, follow-up inspections of all disturbed areas are conducted to determine the success of revegetation, and address landowner concerns.

Depending on the arrangement with the landowner, any drain tiles damaged during construction are repaired to the original state or replaced with one that is comparable. Drain tile restoration or repair work conducted by NEXUS will be monitored for three years, or until restoration is considered successful, to ensure the system functions properly.

NEXUS right-of-way agents are available throughout restoration to respond to landowner concerns. After the landowner and right-of-way agent have reviewed the restoration, NEXUS returns to review and evaluate any follow-up issues or concerns.