Neighbor objects as landowner seeks drainage permit in Yankton County

At a Yankton County drainage commission meeting, John Gunderson sought a permit to install drain tile on a parcel in Section 10 of Yankton County. Staff read the legal description and said notices had been sent; Gunderson and an adjoining neighbor were present to discuss impacts.

Gunderson told the commission he did not propose adding any new outlets and said, "we are adding no new outlets so the amount of water can't be more than what we have now." He reviewed prior work on ditches and culverts intended to reduce pressure on a downstream stock dam and said he was willing to pay his share of enlarging the dam tube based on acres drained.

Neighbor Larry Langstead said the dam has overflowed in recent years, that the existing pipe is too small and that repeated overflows have damaged pasture and created repair costs he cannot afford. Langstead said the tile in that area has been "running constantly since last year" and that a 24-inch tube at the dam, per an NRCS review, is rated to pass a limited storm event (the NRCS note in the record described the installed 24-inch tube as sized for a 2-inch storm in a 48-hour period). Langstead said he recently rebuilt the dam and worries that it will be overtopped again.

Commissioners and the applicant discussed alternate routings (including running tile to the west or northwest and tapping existing blue-line drains), historic ditching and a culvert placed under a township road, pipe sizing, compaction, and whether federal funding or engineering would be required for a longer-term fix. The commission did not act on Gunderson's permit at this meeting; staff and the parties agreed the applicant may reapply or revise the application while neighbors explore easements or other mitigation.

The commission noted compliance with the drainage ordinance and asked for clearer maps and documentation of any proposed easements or changes before reconsidering the permit.