Stearns County Ditch 04 (CD04) Status Updates
05/05/2021
At the May 04, 2021 Stearns County Board of Commissioners meeting, the Commissioners, acting as the Drainage Authority for County Ditch 04 approved the followed Board action:
Staff recommendation based on property owner feedback, the Engineer's report reestablishing records of the ditch, repair guidance offered by the Engineer, and estimated project costs is to proceed with a repair. Saint Wendel Township should be given notice to lower the culvert under 115th Avenue. The Drainage Inspector should be directed to engage a vendor to remove the accumulated sediment east of 115th Avenue to County Road 4 and to have staff exercise vegetative controls from 130th Avenue to County Road 3. Further, the Drainage Inspector will present an updated inspection report on CD 04 to the Drainage Authority in 2022.
Staff will begin the vendor section process for work between 115th Ave and Co Rd 4.
7/2/2019
On May 7, 2019, the Stearns County Board of Commissioners acting as the County Ditch 04 Drainage Authority adopted the engineer's report reestablishing records for the ditch. Since that time, Stearns County has been reviewing the engineering to evaluate repair options. Two issues have come up that staff is trying to resolve.
The first is a designated public water in the DNR inventory. Stearns County believes this public waters designation is in error and have requested the DNR to consider removing it. If the public water designation cannot be removed, further permitting for a potential ditch repair will require additional permitting through the DNR.
Second, the engineering data shows that Type 3,4, and 5 wetland exist at the beginning of the ditch. Since any repair to the ditch near 115th Ave would impact those wetlands, a wetland mitigation plan may be required. This means that the ditch system would need to purchase wetland credits at a 2:1 ratio for impacted wetlands. Stearns County is evaluating options to minimize this cost.
Please check back for future updates.
3/29/2019
The Stearns County Board of Commissioners, acting as the Drainage Authority for County Ditch 4, will hold a public hearing on April 23, 2019 regarding the reestablishment of drainage records.
A reestablishment of records helps define technical information about a ditch where historical records are incomplete or do not exist. The Board will hold a public hearing to review the engineer's report of findings on the alignment; cross-section; profile; hydraulic structure locations; materials; dimensions and elevations; or right-of-way of the drainage system as originally constructed or subsequently improved in accordance with Minn. Stat. ch. 103E.
The public hearing will be held on April 23, 2019 at 9:10am in the Stearns County Administration Center, Board Room, 705 Courthouse Square, Saint Cloud, MN 56303. All interested parties may appear and be heard.
Please check back for future updates.
3/15/2019
Stearns County performed inspection work on the entire ditch in the summer of 2018 and is currently working to legally establish the ditch elevation profile. CD04 was established in 1898 and no documentation was made regarding what was dug and how wide or deep the work was. Because of this, it is difficult to understand where there may be areas of concern in the ditch.
Minnesota Drainage law defines a process for adoption of an elevation profile which involves using a licensed engineer to review all historical records and field work collected by Stearns County in 2018. The Stearns County Board of Commissioners are responsible for reviewing and considering whether or not to accept the engineers report after public input.
Next steps will include a public hearing to review the engineers report of the reestablished records related to the elevation profile and an inspection report. Any member of the public is invited to share their thoughts. All property owners in the benefit of County Ditch 04 will receive notice in the mail of any public hearing related to County Ditch 04.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Stearns County with any questions at 320-656-3694 or by email at County.Drainage@co.stearns.mn.us