Minnesota has an estimated 20,000 miles of public ditches.       

These ditches carry water from farm fields, making land more tillable.  They also carry eroded soil, phosphorus and other nutrients off the fields and most of this ends up in our rivers.  The State of Minnesota does have a buffer requirement.  Any ditch built or enlarged since 1977 is suppose to have a 16.5 foot grass strip on each side.  Unfortunately most of the ditches that are used today were created in the early 1900’s and the rule does not apply. Imagine how the water quality would be if the rule was enforced for all ditch systems. 

Below are pictures of soil and corn stalks in ditches,  the picture on the far right is a of a ditch being cleaned out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each landowner on a ditch system pays a specific percentage of benefits based on their acreage on the ditch system, for example if the total benefit acres is 100 and a landowner has 10 acres of benefited land, he would have to pay 10% of the cost on the ditch clean out.  Everyone on the system pays their share of the clean out regardless of where the clean out was done. A ditch system clean out can cost as little as a hundred dollars to as much at $50,000 or more.  An average ditch clean out = $6,000 per mile.  The cost to enroll a few feet or more of a field adjacent to a ditch system is a far better deal then spending hard earned money on a clean out.

Costly Clean Outs and Repairs

Ditch bank Safety

Many landowners enjoy riding ATVs along their field and ditch bank to check on their crops.  This can pose a safety issue if the ditch bank is not strong enough to support an ATV or worse yet, already has slumped and could have hidden holes along the bank.  Properly installed buffers can help alleviate the ditch bank sloughing, and create a safer place to ride for landowners and their families.

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Other Ways to Reduce Ditch Erosion

Side Inlets

A side inlet is a drop pipe and riser typically located in a low spot near a ditch bank to reduce the potential of or repair gully washouts. Repairing ditch washouts with side inlet pipes can reduce erosion and the need for costly ditch cleanouts. 

Alternative Intakes

Alternative intakes that remove open tile intakes are another way to reduce sediment loss from your fields.       Alternative intakes include rock intakes, pattern tile, and hickenbottom intakes.

 

Hawk Creek can cost share up to 75% for repairing your ditch washouts, and open tile intakes. 

Give us a call at (320) 523-3666 we can assist you with your needs.