Ramsey County advances Venture Township snag-and-clear amid residentsconcern over lake management

Ramsey County commissioners voted to forward the Venture Township "snag and clear" project to the county water board after multiple residents described persistent flooding and urged more aggressive state action to lower Devil's Lake.

Paul Christensen, a Church's Ferry resident, opened public comment saying he has watched about 35 properties flood over decades and urged the county to "put the pressure on the water commission ... to get the water off the lake" and to push for sustained pump operation to reach an elevation of 46. "They're killing us up here," Christensen said, calling state action "very, very, very poor to say the least."

Another resident, farmer Doug Frigid of Edmore, described clogged channels and damaged township roads that he said require repeated repair. "When this channel isn't clean the water doesn't run and it just spreads out all over," Frigid said, urging county help to clear the channel so water can move off the roadways and private land.

County staff clarified that the proposed Venture Township work is a maintenance "snag and clear" of an existing waterway and does not involve changing culverts or increasing inflow. After public testimony the board made a motion to forward the project to the water board for its review; a roll-call vote (Frith, Brown, Wilhelm, Bulk) recorded approval and the motion carried.

The meeting also recorded a sharp exchange over why outlets and pumps are not operating more often. A county commissioner disputed the suggestion that management has been negligent and explained that sulfate concentrations in the watershed can limit outlet operation, citing thresholds discussed in the meeting (750/450/250 parts per million as different monitoring targets along the Cheyenne system) that can prevent outlets from running safely.

Commissioners said they will continue coordinated advocacy with the water board and state agencies and stressed the importance of involving affected townships and road authorities when seeking funding or approvals for drainage and road repairs. The Venture Township snag-and-clear will next be reviewed by the water board and returned to the commission as appropriate.

The board closed the public hearing on the item and moved on to several other agenda items, including a Fox Lake temporary permit and a separate property sale request that the commission tabled for further legal review.