Soil & Water Res., X:X | DOI: 10.17221/140/2025-SWR

Localisation of artificial drainage networks through the retrieval of tile drainage mapsOriginal Paper

Jiří Burian, Tomáš Mašíček ORCID..., Jan Szturc ORCID..., Jana Kozlovsky Dufková ORCID...
Department of Applied and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic


Subsurface drainage systems represent one of the most significant land-reclamation measures in many countries worldwide. Nevertheless, the availability of spatially explicit maps of drainage pipes is very limited or entirely absent. These historical materials, however, constitute the most accurate and comprehensive source of information on the respective drainage systems. Their availability is a prerequisite for responsible agricultural land management and for any interventions in the drainage infrastructure. In this study, we conducted an analysis of the availability and condition of project documentation with the objective of delineating the tile-drained area within the municipality of Křižanov, Czech Republic. Information on the availability of project documentation was obtained by contacting public and private institutions that could potentially hold relevant archival materials. The results demonstrated that key components of the documentation are, in most cases, accessible, though only for structures constructed after 1961. A field survey of the study area provided insights into the current technical condition of the drainage systems. The findings highlight the poor technical state of the installations due to a lack of maintenance and complex ownership relations, which constrains their further (particularly multifunctional) use. Nevertheless, the study emphasizes the considerable potential of these systems, especially in the context of future environmental and climatic challenges.

Keywords: agricultural land management; archival retrieval; climate change adaptation; subsurface drainage mapping; tile drainage systems

Received: December 4, 2025; Accepted: October 6, 2026; Prepublished online: October 19, 2026 

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