Mapping of 30-meter resolution tile-drained croplands using a geospatial modeling approach

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Science
• Environmental Science
• Hydrology

Background:

• Tile drainage is a widespread agricultural practice in the U.S. with significant local impacts on water resources.
• Regional effects of tile drainage on hydrology and water quality remain unclear due to a lack of detailed spatial data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a high-resolution map of tile-drained areas in the Contiguous United States (CONUS).
• To provide spatially explicit data for regional-scale analysis of tile drainage impacts.

Main Methods:

• Developed a geospatial model using soil drainage data and topographic slope.
• Utilized county-level agricultural census data for tile drainage.
• Created a 30-m resolution map (AgTile-US) of probable tile-drained areas.

Main Results:

• Achieved 86.03% accuracy for tile drainage identification across the CONUS.
• Demonstrated higher accuracy in heavily tile-drained Midwestern regions (82.7%–93.6%).

Conclusions:

• The AgTile-US map provides crucial high-resolution data for tile drainage research.
• Enables improved modeling of hydrologic and water quality responses to tile drainage.
• Enhances streamflow forecasting in regions with extensive tile drainage.