Drainage authority moves forward on improvement petition for County Ditch 38A after engineer and DNR review

The Nicollet County Drainage Authority held a public hearing on a petition to improve two tile segments of County Ditch 38A and voted to proceed to a final engineer’s report and viewers’ benefit determination.

Scope of the proposal: Houston Engineering project engineer Chris Otterness presented the preliminary engineer’s report (PER) for an improvement petition submitted May 29, 2024, that seeks replacement of two specific tile segments of County Ditch 38A: Branch 4 (and lateral B) and Branch 1 lateral D (including Spur 1). The drainage area for the two segments is approximately 425 acres, and staff said the original system was constructed in 1904 with improvements recorded in 1955.

What the project would do: The PER recommends replacing deteriorated tile with new dual‑wall polyethylene pipe, increasing pipe sizes in some locations (up to 24 inches where needed) to achieve a target drainage coefficient (roughly a half‑inch per day design recommended for row‑crop drainage). New inlets and reconnections to public and private laterals were proposed; the new mains would generally be installed parallel and offset 10–15 feet from existing tile to maintain flow while work proceeds. Engineers said the design calls for at least 3 to 4 feet of cover over new tile where feasible to protect against agricultural equipment.

Environmental and…