Dr. Dan Jaynes passed away on February 19, 2026. Dr. Jaynes made many contributions to the conservation drainage world through his research and development of practical practices like the saturated buffer throughout his career as a Research Soil Scientist at the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, IA.

Dr. Jaynes was inducted to the International Drainage Hall of Fame, which is hosted in the Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering at The Ohio State University, in 2022. Below are the accomplishments listed on his hall of fame poster.

• Over 35 years of research and outreach contributions to understanding of drainage water quality and nutrient loss mitigation
• Fellow, Agronomy Society of America
• Fellow, Soil Science Society of America
• Author of more than 125 peer-reviewed journal articles, 9 textbook chapters, and 85 conference proceedings
• Aided in development of NRCS Conservation Practice Standards for Drainage Water Management, Denitrifying Bioreactors, and Saturated Buffers
• Member of numerous technical and advisory committees addressing local water quality and Gulf of Mexico hypoxia

His research into saturated buffers is a crucial element to why the practice is being implemented on a wide scale and why we are realizing we can get much more from our buffer systems. Let’s take some time to reflect on Dr. Jaynes’ accomplishments.

Join us for a 3-part webinar series to improve the quality and outcomes of drainage installations. Webinars are free to attend, but ADMC members will have access to recordings if you cannot make the live event.

DrainTool in Action: Turning Data into Smarter Drainage Decisions

February 19, 2026 at 1 PM CT

Eventbrite Registration: Session 1

Dr. Ehsan Ghane: Associate Professor and Extension Specialist, Michigan State University

See the All-New DrainTool in action before the 2026 Michigan State University Drainage Workshop – gain insights into profit, yield, income, payback period, and ROI.

Ghane Bio:
He is dedicated to research and extension in the areas of water quality and agricultural water management to reduce phosphorus loss from subsurface-drained lands. Currently, he’s working on conservation drainage practices including controlled drainage and saturated buffers. He’s also developing decision-support tools to aid in the design and evaluation of controlled drainage and saturated buffers.

Building Better Drainage Systems: Lessons Learned and Opportunities Ahead

February 26, 2026 at 1 PM CT

Eventbrite Registration: Session 2

Moderated by Trey Allis: Application Engineer, Prinsco and ADMC Education Committee Chair

Hear from experienced drainage contractors on how they fulfill specific water management roles.

• Unique approaches to field drainage and district-led improvements
• Incorporating scaled edge-of-field practices
• Utilizing subirrigation and research partnerships

Allis Bio:
Trey is an Application Engineer at Prinsco, where he supports agricultural contractors through product development, installation guidance, and practical field applications. He earned a degree in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering from North Dakota State University and has nearly 10 years of experience with Prinsco. Trey is passionate about advancing the agricultural drainage industry by promoting solutions that address water quality and quantity while maintaining profitability for farmers.

Contractor Panel:
Mike Litzau: Litzau Farm Drainage
Jacob Handsaker: Hands On Excavating and Tiling
LaVerne Weber: Grade Solutions LLC

From Drainage to Resource: Benefits and Implementation of Drainage Water Recycling

March 12, 2026 at 1 PM CT

Eventbrite Registration: Session 3

Chuck Brandel: National Ag Drainage Expert, ISG and President, ADMC

Dr. Chris Hay: Owner and Principal, Hay Water Solutions, LLC

Join us to explore the financial aspects of drainage water recycling projects. We’ll present findings from our recent economic analysis and share real-world examples of how projects secure funding and move from planning to construction.

Learn about cost-benefit considerations, funding mechanisms, and practical lessons from successful implementations.

Brandel Bio:
Chuck is a national expert in agricultural drainage and watershed management, recognized throughout the upper Midwest for delivering innovative and practical solutions to complex water management challenges. He works closely with landowners, drainage authorities, watershed districts, and regulatory agencies to guide projects smoothly through planning and implementation.

Hay Bio:
Dr. Chris Hay is the owner and principal of Hay Water Solutions. With over three decades of diverse experience spanning academia, consulting, government, industry, and NGOs, Dr. Hay is an expert in agricultural water management. His current work focuses on addressing the challenges of agricultural subsurface drainage and mitigating water quality impacts from agriculture. His leadership in programs related to conservation drainage practices, such as drainage water recycling, bioreactors, saturated buffers, and controlled drainage has contributed significantly to the advancement of these practices.

By Chuck Brandel: ADMC President

Welcome to the 2025 Annual Meeting. I want to extend my gratitude to everyone who was able to travel and join us in Minneapolis, as well as those participating online. I am honored to host the meeting at our Bloomington Office again this year. The past year ADMC experienced transitions, including the retirement of long-time President Kent Rodelius and the departure of Darla Huff from the drainage industry. We appreciate Darla’s efforts in initiating the development of a refreshed strategic vision for ADMC. Her work has kickstarted committee activities, increasing engagement from the board, and we hope to see even greater involvement from additional members in the coming year. I am honored to serve as ADMC President during this exciting time of renewed vision.

ADMC’s committees now include Marketing/Membership, Education, Policy, and an Adoption Task Force. Special thanks go to Chad, Trey, Levi, and Tom for chairing these committees. We anticipate even more impactful actions and contributions from these committees in 2026. All of these were part of our strategic planning efforts and will continue to push ADMC to a higher status in the industry. This is an important time for Drainage and Conservations as our industry is leading while also under attack. Our positive messages about the benefits of our work should Allow ADMC to continue to grow as the go to for experienced and research based implementation.

The year 2025 was another strong period for ADMC’s educational initiatives. ADMC and its members maintained a robust presence at key events such as NACADE, CDN, ASABE and the Soil and Water Conservation Society Meeting. ADMC played an integral role in both planning and ensuring the success of the CDN Annual Meeting, as well as organizing educational activities at NACADE. It was encouraging to see ADMC members at these events presenting on the merits of conservation drainage.

This year, ADMC expanded its reach by presenting to farm management groups such as People’s Company and Murray Wise and Associates and further engaged those in the agronomy sector. Recently, Keegan participated in a day-long training session for the Ag’s Clean Water Alliance board’s conservation agronomist and will soon be presenting about water management at the Indiana CCA winter meeting in December. Additionally, Keegan delivered a presentation to the California NRCS on the fundamentals of conservation drainage.

ADMC continues to be grateful for its tremendous membership support. We are excited to have welcomed many new members in 2025. Notably, Bron has joined at the platinum level, and David Princz now serves on the board. Port Industries, also representing the equipment side, is now in its second year with ADMC. We also appreciate the support from the Iowa Soybean Association and Weber Grade Solutions, who have joined at the Silver level. The year has seen solid growth from consulting and engineering groups, including Mauer-Stutz, Hay Water Consulting, Ron Olson, and AgriVia Engineering.

We are thrilled to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with NRCS. Charlie, Keegan, and I traveled to Washington, DC to meet with NRCS Chief Bettencourt just before the government shutdown. Chief Bettencourt’s focus on practices that prioritize farmers and seek greater efficiencies aligns well with ADMC’s vision. This partnership presents a valuable opportunity to advance the TSP program and leverage ADMC’s expertise to further these goals. At that meeting we also met with Alan Gillispie who wants to use ADMC for information on updating practice standards and dollars associated with practices. Let’s continue to use those connections to grow ADMC.

The Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) appreciates the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s (MPCA) review and decision to deny the recent petition for rulemaking related to the regulation of public drainage system by classifying public drainage projects as a State Disposal System. MPCA’s determination reaffirms the long-standing statutory framework under Minnesota Statutes Chapter 103E, which recognizes the essential role counties and watershed districts play in managing Minnesota’s drainage infrastructure.

We are encouraged that MPCA acknowledged both legislative intent and historical practice, confirming that changes to the regulation of drainage needs to be done by the legislative process and not through rulemaking.

ADMC looks forward to working with state agencies, watershed districts, landowners, and other stakeholders to advance the priorities outlined in our response letter, including:

• Increasing funding for multi-purpose drainage management (MDM) to meet needs and growing demand
• Supporting expanded eligibility for engineered conservation solutions
• Aligning project funding timelines with the realities of large-scale drainage system planning
• Strengthening interagency and local partnerships that accelerate implementation

ADMC remains committed to advancing solutions to improve environmental and economical outcomes in the state of Minnesota.

Example of a multi-purpose drainage management system designed by ISG in Martin County Minnesota.

The Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) will submit a formal response to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) regarding the petition for rulemaking filed on August 28, 2025. The petition seeks to classify public drainage systems as “State Disposal Systems” (SDS) requiring MPCA permits under Chapter 115 of Minnesota Statutes.

ADMC’s response emphasizes that agricultural drainage is clearly governed under Minnesota Statute Chapter 103E, which designates local drainage authorities—counties and watershed districts—to oversee drainage systems. Chapter 115, which regulates sewage and industrial wastewater, has never applied to agricultural drainage, and doing so would conflict with decades of legal precedent and legislative intent.

In the response, ADMC notes that public drainage systems are vital components of Minnesota’s water management infrastructure—providing safe, resilient, and dependable water conveyance for both rural and urban areas while supporting agricultural productivity and reducing surface runoff.

ADMC also highlights recent research showing that tile drainage has limited influence on major flood events, with precipitation being the dominant driver of increased streamflow. The letter urges MPCA to continue focusing on science-based, voluntary, and collaborative solutions to improve water quality, such as multipurpose drainage management (MDM) practices that combine water management with conservation benefits.

ADMC encourages the state to:

• Increase funding for MDM to meet growing demand;
• Expand eligibility for innovative engineering solutions;
• Align funding timelines with large-scale drainage project cycles; and
• Strengthen partnerships among watershed districts, agencies, and landowners.

ADMC respectfully requests that the MPCA deny the petition for rulemaking and continue to support collaborative, funded approaches that enhance both agricultural productivity and water quality.

Read ADMC’s full response letter [linked here]

ADMC President Chuck Brandel, Chairman Charlie Schafer, and Executive Director Keegan Kult meet with NRCS Chief Bettencourt to discuss the memorandum of understanding.

The Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) met with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Aubrey Bettencourt on Friday, September 26th to discuss strategies for maximizing the effectiveness of the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two organizations. ADMC, which works to advance sustainable drainage solutions in agriculture, emphasized the importance of forming an NRCS/ADMC working group to address conservation drainage needs, identify opportunities, and develop implementation solutions that remove adoption barriers and prioritize the interests of producers. Chief Bettencourt agreed to appoint staff to serve as the NRCS lead for this working group.

During the meeting, Chief Bettencourt outlined her overarching priority for NRCS: putting farmers first by streamlining the delivery of technical and financial assistance. She stressed the need for conservation systems that make farmers more efficient and deliver strong environmental benefits. The Chief also highlighted the agency’s commitment to updating conservation practice standards to keep pace with technological advancements. Additionally, the discussion addressed the need to improve the Technical Service Provider (TSP) program, recognizing that the increasing demand for technical assistance among farmers could exceed NRCS’s current capacity.

ADMC is well-positioned to help NRCS achieve these priorities, as reflected in the signed MOU. For example, the turn-key approach in Minnesota and the Iowa batch and builds has enabled multiple conservation drainage projects to be packaged and completed efficiently, streamlining both financial and technical assistance delivery. These alternative practice delivery models exemplify how ADMC’s innovative strategies can directly benefit farmers by accelerating access to support and conservation resources. The MOU also underscores ADMC’s role in providing critical feedback to NRCS, improving the accuracy of practice scenarios and payment schedules to ensure they reflect current market conditions. Furthermore, ADMC is committed to advancing the use of TSPs, believing that strong public/private partnerships are essential for scaling up conservation practice delivery. By closely aligning its initiatives with NRCS’s farmer-first philosophy and goals for improved assistance, ADMC’s efforts are poised to deliver measurable benefits for producers and drive meaningful progress in agricultural conservation.