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Farmer says contractor left fields flooded; diversion board votes to press Corps for answers
Summary
Farmer Ben Askegard told the Metro Flood Diversion Authority board that contractor work left water impounded on his fields, causing crop loss; the board voted to send a strongly worded letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers asking the Corps to force contractors to meet with affected landowners and resolve claims.
Ben Askegard, a sixth-generation farmer from Comstock, Minn., told the Metro Flood Diversion Authority at its March meeting that contractor work on the SE 5 reach left ditches plugged and water impounded on his fields, causing what he says is a 25% yield reduction and a contractor bill he estimated at about $71,000. “What AIS did to our family farm is negligent,” Askegard said during public comment, and he asked the board to prioritize resolving his claim.
Jason Benson, executive director of the diversion authority, said staff has been communicating with Askegard and that the next step is the contractor’s insurance-claim process. “The main thing that still has to be…
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