Humboldt County discusses private tile policy, joint repairs and La Verne main replacement

Humboldt County drainage officials and commissioners discussed a range of drainage issues including repeated failures of private field tile outlets, proposals to make the drainage district responsible for the first 50 feet of private outlets, and a planned repair of a joint main near La Verne that officials said will likely require digging and replacing the line.

The discussion began with staff reporting they had inspected multiple outlets where private tile connected to public ditches. Under current practice the drainage district pays for pipe material but landowners install the outlet; staff said that approach has left many buried or poorly installed outlets unaddressed and has contributed to bank erosion and siltation in county ditches.

Several board members proposed the district take responsibility for and regulate the final portion of field outlets—approximately the first 50 feet from the ditch bank—so the county can require correct installation and timely repair. Commissioners noted the change could increase repair costs and raised questions about easements, joint-district arrangements and whether 50 feet is measured from the ditch bottom or the top of bank.

Officials asked staff to gather more information before changing policy. The board directed staff to draft an email surveying neighboring drainage districts about their policies for private tile outlets and to circulate the draft for review. Staff also said they would consult the drainage attorney about legal authority and whether the county could assess damaged private tile back to landowners under relevant code language referenced in the meeting (transcript reference: “4 68 1 48 through 1 1 50”).

On the La Verne joint main, staff and commissioners said previous water-jetting had failed and that replacing the joint line with solid pipe was likely the best long-term fix; because the line is in a tree-filled area the work will require coordination with the adjoining joint district identified in the meeting as Kasuth. The board set a joint meeting with Kasuth for next Monday to discuss the La Verne repair and to negotiate a memorandum of understanding that would set a dollar threshold or streamlined approval process for small joint repairs.

The board also discussed a specific case (Section 2685) where a new farmer reportedly ripped out about 100 feet of tile that connects two mains, leaving the center of the run extremely shallow. Staff described remedies including restoring the main, installing intakes at either end (and abandoning the shallow connector), or pursuing an “improvement” process that would require a public hearing, engineer design and a cost allocation that could delay work until the following construction season. Commissioners expressed concern about repeatedly repairing a main if it is farmed over or intentionally removed and about potential claims if the board abandons a main that historically provided drainage.

Other issues raised included private tile outlets located within county right-of-way and the downstream impact on secondary roads; the difficulty of identifying individual landowners associated with buried tile; and operational counts—staff estimated several replacement outlets per mile in typical clean-outs and said the number of buried clay tile could be high based on short inspections.

Direction recorded in the meeting: staff will draft and circulate an email to neighboring drainage districts asking how they handle private tile when owners do not repair outlets; staff will consult the drainage attorney about assessment authority; and the county will hold a joint meeting with Kasuth next Monday to discuss the La Verne repair and an MOU to streamline small joint repairs. No ordinance or formal policy change was adopted at the meeting; board members asked for more data and legal advice before making binding changes.