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Benton County to clarify who must remove trees along County Ditch 3 buffer strip after inspection finds only one side cleared
Summary
County inspectors found trees and brush removed from only one side of the County Ditch 3 buffer strip, and the County directed its environmental technician to identify the utility with the right-of-way and clarify whether the utility or the County must remove the remaining vegetation.
The Benton County Ditch Authority directed staff on March 3 to determine which utility holds the right-of-way along County Ditch (CD) 3 and whether that utility is responsible for removing trees and brush left on one side of the ditch buffer.
Environmental Technician–Ditch Inspector Adam Ritsche reported the issue after a routine inspection found vegetation removed from only one side of the 16.5-foot buffer strip mandated by the County Board. Ritsche said the unmaintained side runs adjacent to power lines, and staff had assumed the utility would perform tree removal; that work, he said, has not occurred. The board asked Ritsche to identify the utility company, clarify its maintenance obligations for the right-of-way and return with findings at the next meeting.
The item was presented as a maintenance and drainage concern: uncleared trees and brush can impede flow in ditch channels and complicate future maintenance. Ritsche told the board the discrepancy between the two sides could risk vegetation encroaching into the ditch bank and affecting drainage capacity if not addressed.
No formal motion to authorize immediate clearing was made at the March 3 meeting. Commissioners instructed staff to seek clarity from the utility and, depending on the utility’s responsibility, to obtain quotes to clear the remaining portion of the buffer strip so maintenance is consistent on both sides.
The Ditch Authority did not set a timeline for any clearing work; Ritsche will report back at a future meeting. The board’s directive specifies a 16.5-foot buffer from the top of the ditch bank on both sides.
