Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Drainage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wright County adopts resolution to abandon Judicial Ditch 1, a rare full abandonment
Summary
The board unanimously adopted Resolution 26.46 finding there is no benefit to Wright County Judicial Ditch 1 and ordering its full abandonment; commissioners noted substantial landowner involvement in the multi‑year process.
The Wright County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to adopt Resolution 26.46, which contains findings and orders granting a petition for the full abandonment of Wright County Judicial Ditch 1.
Chair introduced the resolution as a rare and significant action: he described the abandonment as possibly the first of its kind in the county in his tenure and noted that standards for full abandonment are high. Commissioners and staff praised property owners for providing documentation and participating closely in the process; a board member said landowners "provided a lot of things in writing, a lot of phone calls back and forth" that informed staff work. The board concluded there is no longer a public benefit to maintaining the ditch system and adopted the findings.
The motion to adopt the resolution carried on a roll call vote with all commissioners recorded as voting in favor. Board members described the outcome as "groundbreaking" for the county and suggested the process could serve as a model when similar issues arise.
