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Kossuth supervisors, roads staff debate fixes for flood‑prone gravel road near Highway 169; no decision
Summary
Supervisors and roads staff discussed chronic flooding near a gravel road at Highway 169 affecting property of Leroy Paseka, weighing options — additional culverts, larger bridge, vacating the road — and examining recent field work that county staff say may not have been authorized. Staff made no final decision.
The Kossuth County Board of Supervisors spent an extended portion of its Oct. 25 meeting discussing recurring flooding at a gravel road near Highway 169 that has periodically overtopped the roadway and approached a nearby house belonging to Leroy Paseka. County roads staff said they have not made a decision on a long‑term fix and outlined the constraints facing the county.
Roads staff described historical work at the site, saying county crews replaced a 24‑inch pipe in 1993 with two corrugated metal arch pipes they described as “about 42 inches,” and that in 2024 crews repaired the road and added another culvert after water went over the roadway. Staff said even larger structure options — a bridge sized to pass the full floodplain — would be lengthy and costly and would not stop backwater for properties below the structure.
“I'm not sure if there is a realistic solution,” roads staff told the board, adding that unless the county builds a structure large enough for the whole floodplain to pass unobstructed, there will be times when the road backs up water. Staff also said the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allow some backwater in design (about three‑quarters of a foot on large structures) and that removing all backwater is not feasible in many locations.
Board members discussed more immediate, lower‑cost options including adding a third culvert to the existing crossing. One supervisor noted that adding another culvert could increase capacity and might make a measurable difference for frequent, smaller events, while roads staff cautioned it might not prevent flooding during major events defined by a 100‑year floodplain.
County staff also reported discovering field intakes and what they described as tile work near the road that they believe was not installed by the county. Staff said a landowner named Mark told staff he did not alter intakes but had moved dirt and placed rock around intakes to improve flow; staff said that they would need to determine whether work in the county right‑of‑way occurred without the required permit. Photos shown at the meeting displayed a beehive‑style intake and a cross pipe placed in the road ditch; staff said they had monitored performance after recent rains and were not certain water actually flowed through the cross pipe during testing.
Separately, a supervisor raised an IPIP complaint the county received that referenced a public drainage hearing held by Sioux County supervisors and alleged those supervisors provided no information to landowners; county staff acknowledged the complaint and said an acknowledgement had been sent. A board member proposed distributing the complaint and related materials to all landowners in Drainage District 4 so they are informed; supervisors indicated that would be considered.
No formal decision was made. Roads staff said they had not ruled out installing another pipe but would need to verify whether an additional culvert would meaningfully reduce flooding before committing county funds. Supervisors asked for an update when staff reach a decision or have more information about the origin and legality of the field intakes.
The discussion included references to multiple FEMA flood events in the county (1993, 2008, 2013, 2018, 2024) and to county GIS floodplain maps from 2016 indicating the property lies within the 100‑year floodplain. Staff said vacating the road is technically an option but noted the road serves local traffic and multiple residences, making vacation impractical without further study.
