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Annual Ag & Drainage report:
Ditch cleaning requests becoming fewer but washouts, blocks, spot repair issues continue
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The number of miles petitioned for the cleaning of county ditches has decreased over each of the past three years, dropping from over 50 miles in 2003 to 30 miles in 2004 and to only 12.5 miles in 2005.
There were, however, many locations of spot repair in 2005 dealing with slope washouts, removing ditch blocks, trees and brush, and also culvert repairs and replacements.
The number of beaver that were trapped dropped from 110 in 2004 to 55 in 2005. The number of dams removed has stayed consistent with approximately 75 dams each year; however, some of the dams removed in 2005 were old and inactive.
In the Glacial Ridge project area, just over 7.5 miles of drainage system was abandoned in 2005 and another 3 miles are being recommended for abandonment in 2006.
Ditch blocks
One of the most common expenses to a county ditch system is ditch blocks due to field side slopes washing into the ditch. This happens because the tops and sides of the slopes are being encroached upon and worked up by farmers. When this occurs the natural cover or turf is removed and the soil is left unprotected.
At this point, even a mild rain causes the slopes to erode and it piles up within 100 feet of the location it came from creating a ditch block.
When this occurs, the landowner, who may have caused the problem by removing the protective turf, will request the ditch to be cleaned. All property owners on the system will then be assessed for the repair.
Some are farming too close
Keeping farm equipment and plowing operations at least 10 feet away from the tops of the back slopes can prevent most ditch blocks. Many landowners are doing an excellent job of not farming too close to the county ditch that drains their fields but there are other landowners who are creating unnecessary expenses for their upstream and downstream neighbors.
If a landowner is considering having ditches in the system cleaned, it is important to get a petition in to the county ditch inspector as early as possible even if the work cannot be done until the fall of the year. This way a contractor can be lined up and be ready to go as soon as a field edge is cleared of its crop. When petitions come in later in the year, contractors often are booked up and the ditch work is delayed.
Cattail control
This past August, 50 separate drainage systems totaling over 170 miles in the county ditches were sprayed for cattail control. August is usually the best time to kill off cattail infestations because it’s the only time the brown seed head is formed and the plant is storing energy down into the root system, therefore taking the chemical down also.
If spraying occurs before that time it might kill the upper part of the plant but new shoots will be sent out by the root system
Cattail control is an ongoing battle because they spread by the root system and by seed. Each cattail seed head contains over 250,000 seeds and the seeds can remain dormant for over 100 years.
Once an area of a cattail stand is eradicated a problem can still exist because millions of dormant seeds are in the surrounding area ready to take root.
That’s why in the county ditch systems, it is important to rotate spraying, if needed, back to that same area every three years.
Noxious weeds
The Ag & Drainage Department oversees the spraying of noxious weeds along county and state road ditches throughout the county. Due to cost effectiveness and efficiency, 2005 was the second year a private contractor was used to spray the road ditches.
Roadside spraying operations begin in June and generally take three to four weeks to complete. When the contractor fulfills that contract, the obligation for the year is complete.
If there are townships and cities within Polk County that would like to have some spraying done, the contractor has stated that he would charge them the same rate as charged to Polk County.
Contact the Ag & Drainage Department in early June and we will help you to get in touch with the contractor.
Weed complaints
In 2005, over 13,500 acres of private property was inspected because of noxious weed complaints. The amount of private property that was found to be in violation was just over 1,100 acres.
Most of the acreage found to be in violation was enrolled in Conservation Reserve Programs (CRP). Due to severe and unchecked noxious weed infestations in past years, the Polk County Ag & Drainage Department and the Polk County Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices have formed an alliance to crack down on major infested properties throughout the county in an effort to minimize this problem.
Generally, the public reports most complaints of noxious weed infestations in CRP fields to the FSA offices. A copy of the complaint is then sent to the county ag inspector, who inspects the property. All that is needed for the FSA to penalize a landowner who is enrolled in a CRP program is for the ag inspector to verify that a noxious weed infestation problem exists.
Certified seed samples
A little over 50 certified seed samples from local seed distributors in the county were sent in to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for analyzing in 2005. Nearly all of them came back as legal for sale in Minnesota and no corrective action was needed.
The Polk County Ag and Drainage Department also continues to provide testing opportunities for persons seeking a chemical applicator license. – Jody Beauchane, Polk County Ag and Drainage Inspector
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Provide information to the public regarding agriculture issues, answer questions or refer to appropriate agency and assist in obtaining correct permits;
Inspect public, private and conservation land within the county for noxious weeds, determine level of problem and determine method of correction;
Inspect seed dealers including retail stores, elevators, seed cleaning plants and nurseries by collecting seed samples and sending to state lab to verify contents and accuracy of label; 
Coordinate the spraying of county, state and federal roads within the county for noxious weeds, cattails and brush by prioritizing the areas to be sprayed and determining the chemical to use; 
Provide testing opportunities for those who are seeking a chemical applicator license;
Attend meetings for area townships and cities within the county and give support to township and city local weed inspectors.
Provide the public with technical and legal information on the cleaning and maintenance of over 830 miles of legal drainage systems;
Conduct field inspections of legal drainage systems where maintenance work has been requested and determine a solution to the problem; 
Provide engineering services necessary for the proper maintenance of legal drainage systems, surveying and staking, computing elevations, establishing ditch grades, etc.; 
Select and supervise competent contractors in the cleaning and maintenance of legal drainage systems and ensure that work is done properly and according to rules and regulations;
Implement the spraying operations for brush, cattail and weed control in legal drainage systems;
Ensure that all laws and regulations are followed and enforced according to Minnesota statutes;
Maintain and update all drainage maps, profiles, and files as needed and required; 
Attend meetings with County Commissioners and County Engineer held for the purpose of discussing the status and adequacy of County, State and Judicial drainage systems; and 
Coordinate all appropriate activities with the appropriate watershed district, DNR, and other various agencies that maintain some degree of involvement.
