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Ecosystem Services Exchange

Valuing Conservation

At Ecosystem Services Exchange (ESE), we merge science, experience, innovation, and stewardship to deliver cost-effective water management solutions for agricultural land.

Who We Are

Solutions For Smarter Agriculture

Ecosystem Services Exchange (ESE) can assist with the planning, design, installation and management of improved water use for your agricultural land. We will help you implement water management practices that improve productivity and conservation benefits. We are able to determine which practice will be most effective and economically feasible for your operation. We know what it will take to achieve water quality and other conservation goals and want to help you get there with practical and proven solutions. With you, we will work to achieve improved surface and subsurface water management that aids the achievement of your production and conservation goals.

Drainage Water Management

Drainage water management is a conservation drainage practice that uses a structure for water control in the main or submain drain to raise the drainage outlet to desired depths. This practice allows farmers to have more control over drainage from tile. A water control structure is used to raise the water level in the soil after crop harvest until early spring to limit drainage outflow and reduce the delivery of nitrate to ditches and streams during the off-season. Prior to crop planting, the structure for water control is used to lower the water level, allowing the tile drain to flow more freely. After crop planting and depending on precipitation and soil moisture conditions, the water level is managed dynamically to store and release water as needed to create the optimum soil moisture condition for crop use and growth. Automation of the structure for water control (automated drainage water management) enables more dynamic and precise management of the soil water during the growing season in response to precipitation, or lack thereof,to better optimize soil water for crop production.

Saturated Buffers

A saturated buffer is a conservation drainage practice that removes nitrates from subsurface drainage tile lines. It is an area of perennial vegetation in between agricultural fields and waterways where tile outlets drain. Tile lines connect to a control structure, which distribute water laterally under the buffer/vegetative surface. Saturated buffers remove very little, if any, land from production, require almost no maintenance and do not affect crop yields when placed in correct sites.

Denitrifying Bioreactors

A denitrifying bioreactor is a water-quality focused conservation drainage practice used to remove nitrates from subsurface drainage tile lines. A water control structure is used to divert drainage into an engineered/designed pit of woodchips, which use carbon in the wood as an energy source that supports soil microorganisms that convert harmful nitrates into nitrogen gas.

Denitrifying bioreactors are installed at the end of a tile system, just ahead of where the drainage water enters a ditch or stream.

Phosphorus Removal System

A phosphorous removal system removes dissolved phosphorus from surface runoff, subsurface drainage, or ditch flows. This conservation drainage practice consists of a phosphorus sorption media within a designed containment structure. Use of this practice results in improved water quality by reducing the concentration of dissolved phosphorus in runoff or subsurface agricultural drainage flows.

Get Expert Support

Smarter Water Management, Proven Results for Agriculture

ESE partners with landowners to implement real-time drainage solutions that reduce nutrient loss, improve water quality, and increase farm productivity. Our automated solutions turn conservation into measurable outcomes.

From smart irrigation to automated drainage water management systems, we provide end-to-end planning, design, and installation support tailored to each field’s unique conditions—ensuring efficiency, effectiveness, and environmental impact.