Nicollet drainage authority approves four ditch cleanings and asks staff to press MnDOT on Highway 22 culvert

The Nicollet County Drainage Authority voted Aug. 26 to approve four ditch-cleaning petitions covering County Ditches 40A, 88, 75 and 95, and directed staff to examine whether a culvert under Highway 22 was installed at an elevation that will impede drainage and to contact the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) about possible correction before the road work is closed.

Nathan Henry, the county ditch inspector, told the authority the projects are routine but necessary: County Ditch 40A is a 9,500-acre watershed with a roughly 3.5-mile segment proposed for cleaning (estimated $55,000) and work slated to start this fall after harvest. "Once crops are out, we'll start," Henry said, and he added spoil will be broadcast outside required buffer strips and the ditch system will reimburse or reestablish any damaged grass strips.

County Ditch 88, an approximately 800-acre watershed with about 2 miles of ditch to be cleaned, has not seen a full cleaning since 1994; Henry estimated that project at $50,000 and asked landowners to mark private tile outlets before work begins. County Ditch 95, an estimated 1,100-acre watershed with significant sediment and brush, was estimated at $50,000. The authority approved cleaning petitions for those systems by voice vote.

Discussion on County Ditch 75, a 3,500-acre watershed with an estimated $85,000 cleaning, became the most contentious item. Landowner Fred Miller said a culvert under Highway 22 is set above the natural flow line and "water can't jump up and then go downhill again," describing standing water and restricted tile drainage on upstream properties. Miller urged the county to press for the culvert to be set to the flow line so fields would drain properly.

Henry and other staff said older concrete sections can shift over time and noted MnDOT surveyed the crossing in 2022 and used that survey elevation in design. The county attorney recommended researching original ditch maps and the record of the 2022 minor-alteration proceeding to determine whether an error can be corrected under drainage law. Given the imminent MnDOT work, one commissioner moved to direct staff to investigate whether the culvert elevation is erroneous and to work with MnDOT to address it promptly; the motion carried on a voice vote.

Henry also reported emergency work at the County Ditch 76A pump station serving Middle Lake after a heavy localized rain (about 6 inches) caused berm erosion and pump deterioration. Crews placed clay fill and rock to stabilize the berm, and Houston Engineering's Chris Otterness will prepare a proposal for longer-term repairs to return for formal action.

The authority did not provide exact final levies at the meeting; Henry said levies to property owners will be determined after determining the ditch account balances and benefit percentages. Landowners who asked about cost allocation were directed to the county's DrainageDB, which houses benefit spreadsheets and redetermination information.

The drainage authority adjourned after approving the four cleaning petitions and taking the step to research and coordinate with MnDOT regarding the Highway 22 culvert.