Soil and Water official outlines drainage damage in Butler Run; video viewing delayed by technical problems

Brett Bacon, deputy administrator with the Soil and Water Conservation District, told commissioners the presenters prepared two videos to show upstream and downstream conditions in the Butler Run watershed because "legally we cannot fly a drone over I 71." Bacon said the videos were intended to make visible the locations of damage and the limits of the proposed improvement area.

Bacon described the drainage problems the board would see in the footage: "there's a fairly high number of blowout tile blowouts on this system," he said, and he pointed to areas of crop damage and stretches of wooded corridor where standing water makes the drainage channel difficult to observe. He also said flows run north to south toward I‑71.

The planned playback did not proceed as intended after meeting staff reported laptop compatibility and missing flash drive problems. A staff member asked for patience while troubleshooting and the board agreed to a roughly five‑minute recess to resolve the issue; no further viewing or testimony occurred during the session.

The board plans to resume the video viewing once playback is restored, and the formal hearing remains scheduled for Monday, Dec. 7, 2026 at 10:00 a.m., when the engineer's report will be presented and landowner testimony accepted.