RAINFALL HAS TRADITIONALLY BEEN SUFFICIENT IN INDIANA AND ILLINOIS TO SUPPORT AGRICULTURE ANDREPLENISH GROUNDWATER. HOWEVER, THE 2012 DROUGHT HIGHLIGHTED SOBERING LIMITATIONS OF THECURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADDRESS WATER SHORTAGES. DESPITE INCREASING ANNUAL PRECIPITATION, SHORT-TERM DROUGHTS ARE PROJECTED TO INCREASE DUE TO SHIFTS IN WHEN RAIN OCCURS. MORE WINTER AND SPRINGPRECIPITATION MAY POTENTIALLY OVERLOAD AGRICULTURAL DRAINAGE SYSTEMS AND INCREASE NUTRIENTCONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GULF OF MEXICO WITHOUT REDUCING DROUGHT STRESS DURING GROWTH PERIODS.FARMERS ARE ASKED TO INCREASE PRODUCTION WITH FEWER INPUTS, WHILE MINIMIZING DOWNSTREAMIMPACTS. THERE IS A NEED TO ADVANCE CLIMATE ADAPTIVE PRACTICES LIKE IRRIGATION BASED ONAGRONOMIC, HYDROLOGIC, AND ECONOMIC RESEARCH THAT PROMOTES SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION OF CROPPRODUCTION. PRACTICES LIKE DRAINAGE WATER RECYCLING (DWR) AND FERTIGATION, USING RECAPTUREDDRAINAGE WATER TO IRRIGATE AND FERTILIZE FIELDS, SHOW PROMISE IN INCREASING THE EFFICIENCY OFSPECIFIC INPUTS.THE OVERALL GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO ECOLOGICALLY INTENSIFY CORN AND SOYBEAN MANAGEMENT USINGEXISTING DEPRESSIONAL STORAGE OF DRAINAGE WATER FOR IRRIGATION AND FERTIGATION TO MAXIMIZE CROPPRODUCTION AND PROFITABILITY WHILE ENHANCING NUTRIENT USE EFFICIENCY AND MINIMIZING DOWNSTREAMIMPACTS. WE WILL ACCOMPLISH THIS BY: 1) MONITORING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DRIP FERTIGATION USINGDWR, 2) MONITORING THE POTENTIAL FOR WETLAND ENHANCEMENT USING WATER LEVEL MANAGEMENT, 3)QUANTIFYING THE WATERSHED-SCALE WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY BENEFITS USING DISTRIBUTED WATERSTORAGE, 4) EVALUATING THE ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF USING DWR FOR SUPPLEMENTAL FERTIGATION, AND5) COMMUNICATING AND DISSEMINATING FINDINGS TO ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE ON ECO-INTENSIFICATION USINGSUBSURFACE DRIP FERTIGATION FROM DWR.