Landowners question benefits of County Ditch 7 improvements

By Anna Jauhola
In 2021, landowners along Kittson County Ditch No. 7 in Svea Township filed a petition to improve 4.7 miles of that ditch to reduce overland flooding. The process of ditch improvements under state ditch law is long and complicated, involving many steps and authorities.
The improvements will affect land in Springbrook, Davis, Svea, Teien and South Red River townships.
It wasn’t until September 2025 that the final hearing regarding this project was held, and recessed when the Two Rivers Watershed Board received several comments from area landowners in person and in writing.
“Some of the written comments were substantial,” said Dan Money, watershed district administrator. “The board felt like they had to kind of look into these and dig in so they could answer.”
The board has recessed until Thursday, Nov. 6, when they will continue the final hearing for this project and get answers to the questions and comments submitted.
The issue at hand is that Ditch No. 7 was originally built in 1905 and in wet years or heavy rain events, it overflows, causing overland flooding on several fields. The original petition states there are “repeated events where inadequate capacity of County Ditch 7 causes waters to breach the ditch system and spill onto ag lands.” The area referenced is in Svea Township in sections 14, 21 and 23. The petition states landowners who grow crops on the ag lands have “significant financial hardships from crop loss.”
The petition claims changes to the ditch will benefit 10 landowners and one residence.
Ditch No. 7 spans 6.2 miles, but petitioners are asking for 4.7 miles to be reconstructed. The engineering firm Widseth Smith and Nolting worked with independent viewers, a group that surveys the land and gives a report regarding land benefitting from drainage improvements.
The benefitted area has been determined to cover the ditch and surrounding lands, and well upstream of the ditch itself – approximately 10 miles to the east. This was one of the major questions people had during the first part of the final hearing. How can this improvement possibly benefit so many lands upstream of this ditch?
The ditch was turned over to the Two Rivers Watershed District in 1999, Money said, so they keep an eye on it, and survey it. Although it’s wider than it’s supposed to be in different areas, it’s still not adequate for the water it carries. The engineers designed a deeper, wider ditch with better slopes.
This will also affect 52 acres of land downstream along Judicial Ditch No. 10 and an unnamed coulee, Money said. The board received comments regarding the downstream effects too.
Should the Watershed board establish this project, the benefitted landowners will be assessed for the cost of it. Should the Watershed dismiss the project, the costs of all the prior proceedings will be on the landowners who filed the petition.
The Watershed board will continue its meeting on Thursday, Nov. 6 at 8 a.m., again held at the Kennedy VFW Middle Room.

THIS IS THE FINAL BENEFITTED MAP for the Kittson County Ditch No. 7 improvement project. It and other documents can be viewed at tworiverswd.com/KCD7.html.
(Graphic courtesy of Two Rivers Watershed District)