Rice County drainage report details 2024 FEMA repairs, 2026 plan and approves final payment for JD 6

The Rice County Drainage Authority reviewed its 2025 inspection and repair work, described remaining FEMA-related repairs stemming from the 2024 flood, and outlined a 2026 plan that includes completing outstanding FEMA projects, investigating failing tile lines, and initiating redetermination of benefits for county drainage ditches.

Jared Spitzak, who led the presentation, said the county inspects 25 physical ditches totaling about 110 linear miles and roughly 100,000 acres of watershed (approximately one-third of the county). Spitzak walked commissioners through before-and-after photos from multiple sites, citing resloping, riprap placement, culvert consolidation and replacement, erosion control and tile-line installation to stop seepage at a problematic section of County Ditch 14. He emphasized that work completed after the 2024 floods included significant repairs, for example about 1,100 feet of severe erosion on Ditch 26 that required new culverts, resloping and riprap.

Spitzak also reported removing six abandoned beaver dams and installing three tile lines at one seep location; the tiles reportedly continued to flow through the fall and into winter. On funding, he said the county’s FEMA appeal was approved and FEMA acknowledged the county’s position that drainage ditches are eligible for assistance; staff have supplied additional requested materials and are awaiting FEMA’s next steps.

Looking ahead, the drainage plan includes completing remaining FEMA repairs, addressing erosion on County Ditch 12, investigating several failing culverts and considering cleanouts where requested. Spitzak said the county plans to pursue redetermination of benefits for most county ditches—some of which have not been updated since the 1950s—to ensure watershed and benefiting acres reflect current land use.

Separately, the board approved a final payment of $18,115.24 to Bornicky Construction as retainage for JD 6 after the engineer (ISG) recommended closeout and certified the work as satisfactory. That payment was approved by unanimous vote.

Next steps noted by staff include continuing FEMA coordination, finishing identified repairs as weather allows, and returning to the board with proposals when redetermination work is ready to begin.