Runoff that goes into ditches eventually drains into lakes and streams, and it seems logical to have the watershed district help manage what will end up in the water, says Clearwater River Watershed District administrator Merle Anderson. Anderson will host an informational meeting from 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, March 16, at the Family Inn Restaurant in Watkins, to discuss taking over management of the Meeker County ditches within the watershed’s boundaries. At their regular meeting Dec. 10, watershed managers were asked by Meeker County board member Hugh Wagner if the CRWD would take over the county ditches that lie within the watershed. “The watershed has the expertise that the county doesn’t have,” Wagner said. “The ditches are on the end where the watershed district starts. I see it as part of a total management plan.” The new duties would help the CRWD board control the amount of runoff entering the watershed at its source. Wagner said the county highway engineer has authority over the rural field ditches that would be affected. “We are not trying to push the ditches off on someone else,” Wagner said. “We think that the watershed could manage them better and quicker than we can.” If the ditches aren’t maintained, Wagner warns, they go back to their natural state and then are protected by environmental laws and can’t be dredged. “I think it is beneficial to bring drainage and water quality together,” Anderson said. “There are many areas that we can partner with other municipalities.” Residents in the area are already taxed for the ditches. Wagner believes taxpayers would get more for their money if the watershed managed the ditches. This is not the first time Meeker County has turned over its ditches to a watershed, Wagner said. The North Fork Watershed District took control of ditches in their watershed about 18 months ago. “That relationship has worked very well,” Wagner said. “I expect the same will happen with the Clearwater River Watershed District.” Meeker County board members, staff, the soil conservation district and Natural Resource Conservation Service will present information about their programs at the informational meeting March 16. More details about the meeting still need to be hammered out and letters will be sent to affected property owners. o Clearwater River Watershed District managers closed their Wednesday, Jan. 14, regular meeting for 20 minutes to discuss pending litigation with their lawyer Tom Melloy. They discussed an upcoming lawsuit over the proposed Clearwater Harbor centralized sewer system. The sewer project would have 87 hookups, including 60 from Clearwater Harbor homes on the west side of Grass Lake. Another four would be from Bluffview Road homes, and many of the rest would be from Beechwood Road, both west of Highway 144. In the fall of 2002, several homeowners in the project area said they did not want to be included the project. A lawsuit is pending and is scheduled to go to trial on March 5. Each home could be assessed as much as $15,805 to build the system. Despite the lawsuit, the managers will be seeking bids for the project soon. o CRWD managers passed a motion to approve auditing services from Burkhardt & Burkhardt Ltd. of Annandale for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005. The fee for the service would be $2,250 for 2003, $2,350 for 2004 and $2,200 for 2005. There would also be a one-time $500 account setup fee. o CRWD managers unanimously approved taking core samples at Lake Louisa and Clearwater Lake to determine the depth and composition of sediment in the lake. The work will be done through the ice. The cores will be analyzed and then a report will be created. The cost for the borings will be approximately $6,700. “We want an experimental project,” said manager Roland Froyen. “We want to see if removing sediment will improve a lake. We want to learn something.” The CRWD will take two samples from Louisa and one from Clearwater, near the public landing. Funds for the project will come from a special projects fund. o Area municipal officials will get a lesson in stormwater management. The CRWD will sponsor a “Non-point source Education for Municipal Officials” seminar at 3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, at Kimball City Hall. “It’s stormwater management 101 for public officials,” said CRWD administrator Merle Anderson. “It will open some eyes on stormwater management.” o CRWD managers approved changing the February regular meeting from Wednesday, Feb. 11, to Wednesday, Feb. 18, allowing managers to attend a state legislative breakfast.
