Wetland drainage

Wetland drainage is the removal or diversion of water from wetlands, often to convert them for agriculture, settlement, or other land uses. It alters water levels and can transform wetland soils and ecosystems.

Drainage ditch: A channel that carries excess surface or groundwater away from land. Ditches are the simplest infrastructure for lowering water levels across wetland terrain.
Peatland: A wetland where waterlogged conditions allow partially decomposed plant material to accumulate as peat. Peatlands show how drainage can turn a long-term carbon store into a carbon source.
Agricultural drainage: The removal of excess water from farmland to improve soil conditions for cultivation. Agriculture is a major reason wetlands are drained for crop production.
Fens: Lowland wetlands with mineral-rich soils, commonly fed by groundwater or surface water. Large areas of England’s Fens were drained for agriculture over several centuries.
Tile drainage: A buried network of perforated pipes that collects and conveys water from soil. Subsurface pipes can drain wet soils without open channels.
Carbon dioxide: A colorless atmospheric gas produced by respiration, combustion, and decomposition of organic matter. Oxidation of drained peat releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Land reclamation: The conversion of water-covered or otherwise unusable land into land for human use. Wetland drainage is one method of reclaiming land for farming or settlement.
Zuiderzee Works: A Dutch system of dams, drainage works, and polders that enclosed and reclaimed parts of the Zuiderzee. The project transformed a major coastal water body into managed land.
Pumping station: A facility that uses pumps to move water between locations or elevations. Pumps keep reclaimed land dry where gravity drainage is insufficient.
Wetland methane emissions: The release of methane from waterlogged soils through microbial decomposition and transport. Drainage can reduce methane emissions while increasing carbon dioxide release.

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