Effects of Subsurface Water Infiltration Systems on Groundwater Table Dynamics in Drained Peat Soils

Summary

ABSTRACT Drainage of wet soils is a widely used method to enable use of these soils, for example, agriculture. Artificial drainage may, however, cause multiple adverse effects, especially in the case of peat soils where drainage can result in oxidation of peat and associated greenhouse gas emissions, as well as soil subsidence. Shallower water table depths (WTDs), especially in summer, may counter these problems. Here, we assess the effects of two methods aimed at raising the summer WTD using passive or active water infiltration via subsurface drainage systems, on five sites in the coastal plains of the Netherlands. WTDs were monitored for 4 years with high‐frequency measurements in a control and treatment plot, allowing for a statistical comparison of the WTD time series between the two.