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Engineers: JDD6 tile is shallow; cleaning downstream ditch and annexation likely needed before surface-channel fixes
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Summary
ISG engineers told the Joint Drainage District 6 board that survey and LIDAR show limited tile cover in multiple locations and that the downstream open ditch is privately constructed; they recommended preconstruction reclassification, possible annexation of up to ~1,000 acres, and another informational landowner meeting before a hearing.
ISG engineers presented a revised preliminary report to the Joint Drainage District 6 (JDD6) joint meeting with O'Brien County, concluding that limited tile depth and a privately constructed downstream ditch constrain low-cost surface-channel options.
Spencer Peck, ISG, summarized the updated work: "We found that the ditch downstream of the main tile outlet was actually constructed privately and is not part of JDD6," he said, noting survey, LIDAR and invert data gathered since the April landowner meeting. Owen Olsen Brunson, ISG project manager, said survey points showed several areas where tile cover was shallow — in some places about a foot to a few feet of cover — raising concerns that a surface-channel (grass waterway) could expose or crush existing tile unless replacement or additional depth is provided.
ISG outlined four improvement packages: Option 1, full tile replacement and a deeper, larger tile; Option 2, a new full-depth open ditch (roughly 6–7 feet deep) to act as an improved outlet; Option 3a, tile replacement combined with a crossable surface service channel; and Option 3b, a lower-cost phased approach that deepens and cleans the downstream ditch, adds a service channel, and replaces only the tile sections that must be replaced. ISG emphasized that all options depend on cleaning and deepening the downstream ditch to provide adequate outlet depth.
On acreage and annexation, ISG said including the downstream ditch in the district could add substantial watershed area. "We could be annexing, like, up to 1,000 acres or more into the district with the inclusion of the ditch downstream," Owen said. ISG also said right-of-way acquisition could be on the order of roughly 100 feet of width for the ditch corridor, and that severance damages and crossing access would be part of acquisition costs. ISG included provisional allowances in cost estimates for annexation work, appraisals and acquisition.
Board members asked about maintenance and lifecycle: ISG estimated full-depth ditch cleanouts might be needed only every two to three decades, while crossable surface waterways will require more regular maintenance — roughly every five years — to prevent siltation and narrowing.
Given the findings, ISG recommended the board proceed with preconstruction reclassification and refine annexation and right-of-way figures before scheduling a landowner hearing. The joint board agreed to proceed with further analysis and asked ISG to include potentially annexed landowners in outreach for the next informational meeting rather than proceeding directly to a hearing.
The board did not finalize design choices at the session; ISG will update cost and right-of-way estimates, complete preconstruction reclassification based on proposed annexation acres, and return for another informational meeting before filing the final engineer's report and scheduling a hearing.
