Problem: Too much summer and winter storm run-off carry unwanted, excess nutrients, chemicals, and sediment off farm. The results degrade downstream water supplies and add to silt deposits, in and off-channel. The deposition in sloughs and canals or along roadsides, creates expensive maintenance problems and threatens the quality of both surface and groundwater supplies. Not recycling tail water where possible increases overall demands on surface and groundwater, thus reducing important local water conservation and water rights support efforts. As it runs across field after field, winter run-off stacks up and ends up flooding local roads and creating traffic hazards.
Solution: When designed as a double-basin system, tailwater ponds collect and hold precious topsoil until it can be put back onto the adjacent field. This decreases sediment moving off-field and into roadside ditches, canals, and natural sloughs. Water costs can also be reduced if the pond is outfitted with a pump and return system which recycles water back to the head of the field. Perimeter vegetation on the pond edges filters excess nutrients and some pesticides, providing cleaner water for downstream users. Upland native vegetation around the pond provides a wildlife habitat oasis, attracting for example, pest-eating predators. Combined with field perimeter native plant hedgerows, that also attract beneficial insects, it may be possible to reduce some chemical pest controls. Federal cost-sharing can reduce out of pocket costs and neither fancy machinery, nor expertise is required to build, plant, or maintain tailwater ponds. Strategically located ponds can even have an impact on localized low-level flooding, up to a point. The more ponds, the more impact. A vegetated tailwater pond for every 100 acre field in the county would go a long way toward alleviating water-related problems and would add tremendous wildlife and hunting benefits as well.

For futher information on the benefits of tailwater ponds in our resource library link to Tailwater Ponds