Engineer says Ghentzel wetland bank reduces peak flows but petitioned acres should not be fully removed from Ditch 77

At a final hearing on a petition to remove property from County Ditch 77 under Minnesota Statute 103.805, ISG engineer Jacob Mueller presented hydraulic modeling and statutory criteria and recommended against full removal of the petitioned 44 acres.

Mueller explained the statute’s three criteria for removal — diversion of waters from the system or inability to use the system, lack of benefit from the system, and no prejudice to remaining owners — and analyzed pre‑ and post‑project conditions for the Ghentzel wetland bank. He said the 44‑acre wetland bank drains about an 820‑acre subwatershed (about 20% of CD77) and that the bank ‘‘does reduce peak flow rates quite significantly on more standard storm events’’; Mueller added that modeled results showed an 80% reduction in peak flow for a 2‑year event but that the bank still discharges to CD77 in every modeled storm event and continues to act as an outlet for upstream public tile.

Viewer Mark Barrons summarized the viewers’ adjustments: the petition removes 44 of 131 acres from farming and places those acres in a wetland bank; the viewers recommend reducing the benefit on that portion by 95% so the property will continue to pay a reduced amount toward repair and maintenance. The board approved draft findings and the order granting partial removal of benefits for the petitioner. The engineer and viewers said the reduced benefit is consistent with the property’s changed use and hydrology but that full removal would separate public tile from the downstream open ditch and could expand maintained water levels, undermining the bank’s goals and potentially affecting neighboring properties.