The land around Carman
The RM of Dufferin covers about 9.5 townships in south-central Manitoba, and Carman is its largest centre. According to the federal-provincial soils bulletin for the RM, the municipality falls into three landscape regions:[1]
- Lower Assiniboine Delta (roughly the western half): level to gently rolling sands over finer material, with most soils affected by high water tables.
- Red River Valley (the east): a nearly level plain of lacustrine loams and clays where low relief and fine textures cause imperfect drainage over much of the area.
- Pembina Escarpment: a small area in the southwest corner.
The Boyne River runs through the municipality, with alluvial soils along it.[1]
What the soil survey says about drainage
The same bulletin maps about 73% of the RM as imperfectly drained and about 20% as poorly drained.[1] It notes that the clay soils of the Red River Valley have slow to very slow permeability and are subject to surface ponding unless adequate drainage is provided, and that the sandier delta soils can have a seasonal high water table or a saturated zone above the clay subsoil, particularly in spring or after heavy rain.[1] The bulletin dates from 1999, so check current field conditions during a survey.
| Soil drainage class (RM of Dufferin) | Share of RM |
|---|---|
| Imperfect | 73.2% |
| Poor | 20.0% |
| Well | 4.8% |
| Rapid | 1.1% |
| Very poor | 0.4% |
Different soils need different designs. Lateral spacing and depth depend on how quickly water moves through the soil, so a clay field near the east side of the RM and a sandy field to the west will not be drained the same way.
Watershed district
The RM of Dufferin and the Town of Carman are in the Redboine Watershed District.[4][5] The Boyne River area is covered by the Boyne-Morris integrated watershed management plan.[4] Registered tile projects must not be inconsistent with an approved watershed plan, and if your outlet runs into a district drain, the district’s approval is needed.[5] Check with the RM as well, since municipal sign-off may be required.[5]
Working with Innovative Agri Tiling
- The whole job, start to finish: field survey, design, drainage permits and licensing, installation and the outlet. You deal with one point of contact throughout.
- An owner-operated company, founded in 2010. Every job runs under the management of the business owner.
- A small, steady crew: our main employee has been with the company since it started.
- A field survey and a written estimate before you commit.
- Drainage design for each field: outlet, pipe sizing and lateral spacing, matched to the soil and the crop.
- Lift stations and outlet control structures when the design calls for them. See lift stations and control structures.
- GPS-controlled installation machinery.
- We take care of the drainage permits and licensing for you: the provincial registration or licence application. See drainage licensing in Manitoba.
- Irrigation line installation as well. See irrigation line installation.
Related pages
Sources
- Land Resource Unit (1999), Soils and Terrain: An Introduction to the Land Resource. Rural Municipality of Dufferin, Information Bulletin 97-20 (revised), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
- Province of Manitoba, Redboine Watershed District
- Manitoba Association of Watersheds, Find Your Local Watershed District
- Province of Manitoba, Boyne-Morris integrated watershed management plan
- Province of Manitoba, Environment and Climate Change, Drainage & Water Control
Last checked against the sources above: November 2026.