A common question we are asked is whether solar energy construction will have an impact on erosion and drainage of the land.
 

What’s important:

To help you understand how we work with drain tiles, it is important to understand what they are and how they impact the land.

Drain tiles are a network or system of underground pipes that siphon away excess water from the soil that can negatively affect plant growth or life. Siphoning aerates the soil, improving farming and keeping the ground firm for machine access. Landowners make major investments in drain tile as it has significant impacts on the productivity and profitability of their farmland.

Our role during construction:

When building a solar project, we identify where any public and private drain tiles exist and how the construction on-site will impact the integrity of the system.

  • We work with landowners to collect all drain tile maps and with local drainage authorities to identify public drain tiles. Additionally, we use aerial imagery technology to develop a drain tile site map.
  • The information collected is used to create a plan for mitigating and potentially rerouting drain tiles to minimize the impact during construction.
  • The mapping information is used during the construction process to identify where tiles exist.

From the very beginning, we work closely with landowners because we understand the importance of farmer’s drainage systems. For a closer look watch Chanda, a project developer for NextEra Energy Resources, explain how we minimize impacts on farming at a project in Indiana. We take the same approach with every solar project, including those that will call Oklahoma home.

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