ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part shares a brief history of improved drainage in the Midwestern USA including a summary of recent advancements in agricultural ditch designs that are more consistent with fluvial form and processes. It addresses active floodplains in two-stage stream systems where the active floodplain plays an important role in sustaining or establishing dynamic equilibrium. The part summarizes the capabilities of a freely available spreadsheet tool developed to facilitate design of two-stage ditch and self-forming channel approaches for surface drainage in low-gradient landscapes. Sediment deposition rates in the floodplain have increased since European settlement by an order of magnitude.
