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As long as the crop-fallow system is practiced on the northern 

 plains the conditions favoring seeps will continue and the problem 

 cannot be totally prevented. In certain areas, however, seep flows 

 can be retarded and perhaps even discontinued. 



Serious methods to control saline seep have one objective in 

 common: remove excess water from the recharge area. The discharge 

 area, where seeps are manifest, is less important from the control 

 standpoint. Preventive methods may be grouped into two categories: 

 farming practices and nonfarming practices. 



Farming Practices 



To keep excess water from reaching below the root zone in 

 recharge areas, any vegetation is clearly better than no vegetation 

 at all (fallow). Stems and leaves intercept moisture and enhance 

 evaporation. Plants function like pumps in transporting moisture 

 from the soil up through the roots to the aerial parts, where it can 

 be transpired. Profitable cereal, seed, or forage crops are a logical 

 first choice for moisture control purposes. 



Currently, soil moisture management through crop selection 

 and farming methods is probably the only practical means of controlling 

 saline seep. Reverting to a grassland/grazing economy seems out 

 of the question in most areas, given today's grain prices and land values. 



