24 



The nonfarming practices listed in the following section do not appear 

 amenable to widespread application. Because with few exceptions saline 

 seep is a problem only croplands, an enlightened program of soil 

 moisture management will depend on the individual producer. 



MSU researchers are examining several approaches to seep 

 control in studies on the Highwood Bench (4); their preliminary findings 

 are available to farmers in a recent bulletin from the MCES (5). 



An initial alternative is to crop small grains every year 

 instead of every other year, but this method of seep control does not 

 appear to be feasible. Since winter and spring w^heat use soil moisture 

 to a depth of only four to seven feet, and root systems may not be 

 established at snowmelt or when rains arrive, water may still move 

 beyond the root zone in wet years. Only a few of the minor seeps 

 have disappeared from the Highwood Bench after two dry years in 

 combination with annual cropping (5). Also, harvest during the second 

 or subsequent years may be too meager to pay farming costs, except 

 in areas receiving adequate annual precipitation. 



Deep snow accumulation may be responsible for particular 

 saline seeps, but a certain amount of snow accumulation is needed for 

 successful annual cropping. Standing stubble and intermittent rows of 

 perennial grasses, which can hold snow in place and reduce drifts, 

 are being studied by MSU and ARS as means of controlling the amount 

 of water entering the soil in recharge areas. 



