Blocked Ditch Raises Flooding Concerns, Legal Action Possible

by Trinity Gruenberg

trinity@inhnews.com

The Wadena County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, August 5.

Ditch Complaint

The board received a complaint regarding Judicial Ditch 3, which runs between Wadena County and Cass County. The complaint, submitted by the DNR on May 15, concerned the filling in of a segment of the ditch at a specific parcel of land. A site meeting was held with the Wadena Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), and county representatives to review the situation.

Three locations of concern were identified on the property. At the first location, a timber bridge had been removed and replaced with soil and a small culvert. The second location involved large stones placed to create a walking path across the ditch. The third location, situated in Cass County, was believed to be blocked by a pre-existing beaver dam. The landowner acknowledged constructing the crossings at the first two locations, which did not meet the required capacity and were considered obstructions...

Subscribe to get the rest of the story...