Trustees discuss clearing trees from Shell Rock River and who would pay for work

Winnebago County trustees spent part of their meeting discussing tree blockage and sediment near a drainage-district outlet on the Shell Rock River and the knock-on effects for several drainage districts.

The discussion centered on whether the trees and debris at or upstream of an outlet are creating a future drainage problem, and on who should pay for removal. Trustees and staff agreed they need a cost estimate before assigning responsibility. County staff said they had received photos from Chris Barber and reviewed later images; the county has asked a contractor to provide an estimate and will return the item to a future agenda once the estimate is available.

Trustees and staff debated fairness and precedent for allocating costs. Several supervisors said a county-wide cleanup would be expensive and that, if cleaning benefited all districts that drain into the river, those districts — and not just the nearest outlet — might be expected to contribute. One trustee said a “fair” apportionment would consider how much water each drainage district sends into the river, while another said some counties maintain a dedicated drainage fund billed annually to acreage to cover routine cleanups.

Trustees noted several complicating factors: the Corps of Engineers has warned the county not to touch riverbanks, meaning any work must avoid bank disturbance; portions of the river and its banks lie outside county ownership; and a complete river cleanup would require coordination with cities, other counties and downstream landowners, including some in Minnesota. The board suggested reaching out to partners such as the Shell Rock River watershed group to explore cost-sharing and grant opportunities.

The meeting also included a related complaint about a ditch cleanout that county crews had paid to complete last fall. Residents and a trustee reported that Peterson’s (a contractor) later dammed a ditch for a bridge culvert installation and left water and silt behind, creating fresh sediment deposits on a section of ditch that had just been cleaned. County staff said the damming lasted several days and likely led to new deposits that shorten the effective life of the cleanout. Supervisors asked staff to investigate whether the contractor should be required to re-clean affected reaches or otherwise compensate the drainage district.

Trustees directed staff to obtain a written estimate for river/tree work and to research how neighboring counties and watershed organizations handle large-river cleanups and cost-sharing. They did not take any formal action at the meeting.

Looking ahead, trustees said they will return the item to the agenda after receiving estimates and additional information from the watershed group and county engineers.