Drainage authority orders CD 38A improvement after final engineer's report; estimated cost about $807,000

The Nicollet County Drainage Authority reviewed and ordered an improvement to County Ditch 38A (Branch 1, Lateral D and Branch 4) after receiving a final engineer’s report from Houston Engineering, the DNR advisory report and the viewers’ report.

Houston Engineering told the authority the two branches serve about 425 acres and that much of the existing tile, installed in the early 1900s, has reached the end of its functional life. The proposed work would replace and upsized tile where needed, reconnect public and private laterals, install intakes in low areas, abandon the old tile by crushing and plugging sections, and place rock in outlets to reduce erosion.

The engineer described a design-sized drainage coefficient of 0.5 inch per day, proposed tile diameters ranging from 10 to 24 inches (replacing existing 8–18-inch tile), and corridor working widths of 100 feet (50 feet each side of alignment) for contractor access. Design changes from the preliminary report included switching from jack-and-bore steel pipe to directional-drilled plastic under county roads (saving about $76,000) and the addition of rock inlets for water-quality and sediment control. The project anticipates about 24.1 acres of construction damages within the working corridor.

Houston Engineering estimated the opinion of probable construction cost at about $623,000 and a total estimated cost including legal, engineering and administrative expenses of about $807,000. The viewers’ report presented updated benefit calculations that show county-wide benefits rising from about $16,578,000 to $16,789,000 (an increase of roughly $210,000) after the improvement. The viewers reported the estimated improvement portion of the project at about $58,000, with the remainder categorized as separable maintenance.

The DNR’s final advisory report found the detailed survey report complete and the outlet adequate, noted no public-waters permit was required, and recommended the drainage authority ensure consistency with the county comprehensive water plan. The DNR advised retention of off-channel storage solutions (WASCOBs or wetland restoration) where feasible but had no objections requiring project redesign.

No public testimony opposed the project at the hearing. The authority then considered the statutory checklist under Minnesota Statute 103E.341 (final hearing criteria) — including completeness of engineer and viewer reports, adequacy of the outlet, benefit exceeding cost, public utility finding and practicability — and answered each item affirmatively. The drainage authority moved, seconded and voted to order and adopt the engineer’s and viewer’s reports, allocate separable maintenance, and order the project as reported; it also directed staff to prepare findings and an order for the next scheduled drainage authority meeting and proceed toward bidding per the tentative schedule.

Houston Engineering and staff noted a tentative schedule: finalize bidding documents in August, open bids in September and, depending on contractor availability, possible construction this fall or more likely in the following spring/summer; the engineer cautioned tile contractors are busy in fall due to private work.