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Supervisors review multiple drainage maintenance needs: sinkholes, plugged tiles and tree removal
Summary
Board heard a series of maintenance reports and directed staff to investigate sinkholes on recent DD11 improvements, tree and root obstructions on a DD5 lateral near Steve Strand’s property, and possible cleanups of L20/L22 ditches after a fire response.
Winnebago County board members and staff used their drainage agenda item to review multiple maintenance issues across several drainage districts and directed staff to inspect and obtain cost estimates.
Staff said sinkholes have opened along the recently improved DD11 lateral and that those collapses “need to be dug up,” with staff planning to inspect and determine repair scope. Supervisors were told several holes on the Larson and Mathesus properties have developed where sandy soils likely are allowing material to wash into tile lines.
On a different segment of DD5 near Steve Strand’s house, staff reported a stretch of roughly 400 feet of trees covering a tile that has plugged with tree roots; the segment is causing water to back up for large areas and has produced standing water reportedly visible “for miles” in the area. Staff said a sewer company may be able to auger some reaches (two‑ to three‑hundred‑foot runs at a time) rather than full replacement, which could be significantly cheaper if feasible. Supervisors asked staff to get an estimate for tree removal and for the cost to clear and to determine whether augering will reach the full blocked run.
Separately, a ditch in the L20/L22 area — which staff said had been blocked temporarily while firefighters pumped water during a blaze — may still be partially plugged or have sloughed back in. Staff said they would ask Secondary Roads (Ethan) to inspect and confirm whether the county’s prior repair remains effective or if the landowner should sign a repair petition.
Supervisors directed staff to inspect problem locations, obtain contractor estimates for tree removal and tile repair, send letters to landowners where required, and return the findings for possible repair petitions.
