Drainage Board Eyes Major Overhaul of County Assessments, Explores AI Technology

From the Blackford County Drainage Board meeting on July 20, 2026

The Blackford County Drainage Board is considering a sweeping overhaul of how drainage assessments are calculated, with new rates potentially coming before the board in September.

Drainage Consultant Paul Shriber presented a five-year plan that would consolidate the county's 138 individually assessed drains — a system dating back to the era of horse-drawn maintenance — into approximately 30 watershed-based assessments. Current rates sit at roughly $15 per acre, well below comparable Indiana counties charging around $75 per acre. Shriber emphasized that Blackford County's new rates should reflect actual annual maintenance costs rather than construction costs.

Shriber also proposed using AI and aerial imagery technology to calculate impervious versus pervious surface area on properties. The goal: fairer assessments that account for the fact that factories and industrial sites generate far more runoff than residential properties but currently pay the same per-acre rate. He cited Seattle's use of similar AI technology for a large water project. Engineer Andrew Cochran, who also sits on the Hamilton County drainage board, is assisting with the effort. Shriber noted that no Indiana county has implemented this approach yet.

The board plans to schedule new assessments at its September meeting.

For landowners, this could mean higher drainage fees — but also better-maintained ditches and more equitable cost-sharing between agricultural, residential, and industrial properties.

Source: YouTube transcript — Blackford County - Drainage Board Meeting - July 20, 2026

Some information may be inaccurate due to video audio quality.