Announcement: 2026 Overholt Drainage School and Conservation Drainage Network meeting

By Vinayak Shedekar, The Ohio State University

Advanced technologies for drainage design, installation, and management will be the focus of this year’s Overholt Drainage School, which will be held from March 16 – 20 on the Ohio State University’s Wooster campus. Additionally, the Conservation Drainage Network’s Annual Meeting will be held from June 2 – 4 in East Lansing, Michigan.

2026 Overholt Drainage School (March 16 – 20, Wooster, Ohio)

The 5-day Overholt Drainage School provides agricultural drainage-focused education. The program will cover a wide range of topics, including planning, design, and installation; drainage economics; topographic mapping; drainage law; GPS surveying; drainage design software; and the use of agricultural conservation practices to manage water quality.

Who should attend? The drainage school is open to anyone interested in subsurface drainage design and installation, including drainage contractors, professional engineers, district technicians, consultants, NRCS, and agency professionals. Landowners and producers who intend to install or repair drainage systems on their own can greatly benefit by learning the key principles of drainage design and installation.

Who are the instructors? Training is provided by a team of experts from The Ohio State University, experienced professionals from federal and state agencies, such as the Ohio Department of Agriculture, and industry partners, such as the Ohio chapter of Land Improvement Contractors of America (OLICA).

Cost: The cost of registration is $650 and includes lunch on all five days plus all the training materials. A discounted rate of $450 is available for alumni and multiple attendees from the same family, company, or agency. There is also a special rebate for OLICA members.

Registration information: Visit www.go.osu.edu/ODS26 for printable and online registration forms, detailed session information, and hotel information. Availability may be limited, so early registration is encouraged. The registration deadline is March 5. Please contact Dr. Vinayak Shedekar (shedekar.1@osu.edu) with any questions.

Conservation Drainage Network Annual Meeting (June 2 – 4, East Lansing)

The 2026 Conservation Drainage Network Annual Meeting will be held in East Lansing. This is a national gathering of drainage professionals from academia, state and federal agencies, the drainage industry, non-profit organizations, and drainage practitioners at the local levels. Topics will include partnerships for conservation drainage adoption, opportunities to learn about conservation drainage and water quality research across the country. A special session will focus on innovative phosphorus technologies. The last day of the conference features a field tour to various research sites in MI. More details and registration information are available at: www.go.osu.edu/cdn26.

This column is provided by the OSU Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, OSU Extension, International Program for Water Management in Agriculture, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Dr. Vinayak Shedekar is the Assistant Professor of Agricultural Water Management and director of the Overholt Drainage Research and Education Program in the OSU Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering and can be reached at shedekar.1@osu.edu