In 1981, the Polk and Norman County transferred ditches 17 and 2 to the jurisdiction of the Sand Hill River Watershed District.

The district is currently in the process of redetermining the benefits for this ditch and will be in compliance with the new State of Minnesota Buffer Law.

Based on input gathered during the March 13, 2017 public informational meeting, the Sand Hill River Watershed District’s (SHRWD) Board of Managers is proceeding with redetermination of benefits for SHRWD Project No. 5. Pursuant with the requirements of MN Statute 103E.351 Subdivision 1, on April 4, 2017 the SHRWD Board of Managers made a motion to proceed with redetermination of benefits on Project No. 5 based on two criteria. First, a significant amount of time had passed since monetary benefit values were assigned through the last redetermination of benefits. And second, high resolution LiDAR topographic data that is available for the area will allow for drainage boundaries to be better defined, potentially resulting in corrected boundaries from better data.

Also on April 4, 2017 the SHRWD Board of Managers made a motion to appoint viewers to assign benefits to Project No. 5 as required by MN Statute 103E.351, Subdivision 2. Viewers to establish benefits for parcels from Project No. 5. These benefits will then be used to determine the Viewer’s Report to document the level of benefit for each parcel, broken down by 40 acre tracts, used to levee future assessments against. As required in MN Statute 103E.021, Subdivision 1, redetermination of benefits will establish a one-rod (16.5 feet) buffer strip. An easement will be purchased on the required land, and will be financed by the newly defined Viewer’s Report.

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