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Scott County board approves abandonment of County Ditch 7
Summary
After a public hearing and staff review, the Scott County Board approved findings and an order to abandon County Drainage Ditch Number 7 following a petition and owner ballots.
Scott County commissioners on Tuesday adopted findings and an order approving the abandonment of Scott County Drainage Ditch Number 7 after a staff review and public hearing.
County staff told the board that County Ditch 7, constructed in 1917 and located entirely within Helena Township, has had little to no maintenance since construction and that the system lies mostly in a wetland. "79% of the owners voted to abandon the ditch," county staff said when reporting on the owner mail survey mailed in October 2024. Staff said one owner asked for a redetermination of benefits and three owners did not respond.
The hearing followed the county’s legal standard under Minnesota drainage law, with the county attorney expected to explain the decision standard. Staff presented available history and maintenance records before opening the item for public comment. No public speakers spoke at the hearing on Ditch 7, though staff noted two written responses had been submitted to the record.
A motion adopting staff’s findings and the presented order to abandon the ditch passed after the public-comment period was closed. County staff and the drainage attorney clarified during the hearing that abandonment does not prevent private landowners from doing maintenance on their own property or from removing obstructions; it removes the county as the formal drainage authority for that system and returns regulatory oversight for work in the watercourse to applicable state public-waters rules.
The board’s order removes Ditch 7 from the county drainage code and places future responsibility for routine maintenance and any restoration with the private property owners, subject to state public-waters permitting where applicable.
The county’s drainage attorney, staff and commissioners said the decision was based on evidence in the record about the ditch’s lack of use, limited maintenance history and the owners’ ballots. No legal appeal or further action was recorded during the meeting.
