Work on public ditch approved; $45,000 to be assessed to landowners

Rock County’s Judicial Ditch No. 2 will be repaired and improved as the result of action taken May 3 by the Rock County Commissioners.
The $45,000 estimated repair cost will be assessed to property owners who have benefited from the drainage system since the early 1900s.
Judicial Ditch No. 2 is located in Rose Dell Township and starts in the northwest corner of Section 13. It consists of a clay tile line that runs south along County Road 66 before it empties water into an open ditch a mile later.
According to County Attorney Don Klosterbuer, it has been determined that the north half mile of the line has collapsed and is no longer operational.
“This tile likely is part of the very original construction of the ditch, probably dating back to 100 years at this point,” he explained.
In late April, Klosterbuer, county officials and members of the Rock County Judicial Ditch Advisory Board met at the site.
Judicial ditches were constructed under the state’s Judicial Ditch Law in 1909. The law allowed that individuals who wanted their land drained to be more suitable for agriculture and habitation could do so through the district court system.
Rock County has two judicial ditches: the one in Rose Dell and the other in Springwater Township.
Landowners served by Judicial Ditch No. 2 will receive letters with the assessed amount of the repair costs.
Repairs include replacing about a half mile of the damaged clay tile with a new 15-inch PCV line. The PCV would be joined to the existing 20-inch line, which shows no signs of damage.
The judicial ditch will also be improved through a private ditch agreement.
Klosterbuer suggested the agreement as a practical solution versus the three landowners petitioning for the judicial ditch improvement.
The agreement would allow for the northwest corner tile line to be extended in a northwesterly direction and bored under County Road 66 to a new inlet in the southeast corner.
No cost estimates were provided for the improvement project. However, it was agreed costs would be shared equally. The county’s 25 percent would be paid through the highway department.
Roger Brockberg, Mark Brockberg and Tom Brockberg attended the meeting in support of the improvement project.
Roger Brockberg said terrain leading up the judicial ditch is relatively flat and allows water to flow up to the ditch and stop. Repeated cleaning of sediment from the ditch has not alleviated the pooling of water.
Allowing the water to flow under the roadway would improve the ditch system and prevent the softening of the roadway from the pooled water.
“It would be a great benefit … to the county to maintain a good road ditch rather than have mallards swimming in it,” he said.
Both ditch projects are expected to be completed this summer.
 
In other business, the commissioners:
•Approved the painting of 70 miles of center and edge lines on county roads this summer as well as 65 miles of centerlines only. AAA Striping Service, St. Michael was awarded the bid for $57,698.
•Reappointed current County Engineer Mark Sehr to another four-year term.