Becker County Drainage Ditch Inventory and Inspection Project

The Becker County Drainage Ditch Inventory and Inspection Project is a collaborative, multifaceted approach to develop a GIS-based drainage ditch inventory database system, inventory the current conditions of judicial ditches and adjacent land, and target and prioritize portions of each ditch system for restorative or protective measures.

Judicial ditches within Becker County were turned over to their respective watershed districts, but in several cases ditches lie outside of the jurisdiction of an organized district. Though some segments of these systems have been studied either by the county or their respective watershed districts, to date there has not been a comprehensive inventory of their resource conditions or assessment of their conservation needs. Phase 1 of this project will create a mobile GIS-based ditch inventory system and database. Phase 2 will utilize the mobile database to conduct on the ground surveys of current conditions of six Becker County Ditches. Phase 3 will incorporate survey data and LiDAR-based GIS assessments of the contributing area(s) of each reach to 1) determine the status of compliance with buffer strip requirements and the 50-ft. Shoreland Buffer Rule, 2) identify and prioritize sites for buffer strip needs, side inlet control or other structural practices, and 3) identify priority wetland restoration or other drainage water storage and treatment opportunities. In addition to fulfilling these needs, the information and system developed by this project will assist day to day operational goals and expand resource management opportunities for each organization within this partnership.