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Board approves contingent partial abandonment of Judicial Ditch No. 4 tied to US Steel restoration project
Summary
St. Louis County’s drainage authority approved a contingent order to partially abandon a segment of Judicial Ditch No. 4 after US Steel and the Spider Creek Hunting Association presented a stream restoration plan. The final abandonment will not be recorded until restoration construction is complete and functioning.
The St. Louis County drainage authority voted to approve a contingent partial abandonment of a segment of Judicial Ditch No. 4 after hearing technical presentations from petitioners and engineers about a creek restoration project.
The petition was filed by United States Steel and cosigned by the Spider Creek Hunting Association under Minnesota Statutes chapter 103E and specifically the partial-abandonment procedure in section 103E.806. County staff and petitioners told the board that the petition would remove an altered portion of Spider Creek that was straightened into the ditch system and replace it with an engineered, self-sustaining stream channel.
Barr Engineering representatives Jessica Olson and Tom McDonald presented hydraulic and design information. Olson said the proposal would “restore just under 3,900 linear feet of stream, and that’s replacing roughly 3,100 linear feet of ditch.” McDonald described hydraulic modeling showing lowered 10-year flood elevations downstream — noting about a two-foot reduction at the downstream end following culvert replacements — and said the restored channel would be built offline, allowed to revegetate for a year, then placed back into service.
County staff explained the proposed order differs from past ditch abandonments because the final county order will be contingent on the restoration work being completed to specifications and the restored channel being ready to receive flow. Staff also said notice requirements were met and that no concerns about assessments were raised during the public notice period.
The petitioners and engineers said permitting with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers remains part of the process and that certain elements — including tax-forfeit land exchanges and conservation easements — are lined up. Director Faldesi (Public Works) told the board the county has identified many additional opportunities to restore straightened ditches across the county and that the project could serve as a model for future stream mitigation credits.
The board closed the public hearing and approved the contingent abandonment on a voice vote. The final order will not be signed until the restoration construction is finished and ready to accept water, as the petition and staff testimony specified.
