TRAILL COUNTY WATER RESOURCE BOARD
History
Stavanger-Belmont Drain #52 was constructed in 1982.
Length: 8 miles
There was a problem with the sheet pilings on the lower drop structure. At the time of inspection, the engineer and the contractor assured the Water Board that the piling was properly installed and would work alright. After the spring runoff, it was clearly evident that the structure was not properly installed. A lawsuit formed. The Water Board won. They received a monetary settlement. A completely new structure was built to replace the faulty one.
One unusual design feature is that all of the culverts are set a foot below grade and water stands in there for a good share of the time. Joel Horne complained about this being so close to his house, that the Water Board lowered the ditch in Section 11 a foot to eliminate this problem.
In 1997 the drain in Sections 10 and 11 was surveyed for cleanout. It was found that there is very little dirt in the channel.
Almost from the beginning, at least in deep snow years, the water escapes and leaves the ditch. Many styles of equipment have been used to help this situation. It appears that the track hoe is perhaps the most successful. Kennard Knutson, a farmer and township official, has helped keep the Board posted and also kept the snow out of the drain. The east-west miles were cleaned in 2003 with FEMA money. FEMA repaired the outlet in 2009. Some snagging and clearing was needed at the outlet.
Reconstruction is planned for 2017 as far as drain funds will allow.
Located in Blanchard and Norman townships. Originally there were two separate drains; Blanchard Drain No. 23 was built in approximately 1917 while Norman Drain No. 40 was built in 1965-66. The assessment areas were combined as one drain in 1983.
Length: 6.5 miles
There have been several cleanouts on both channels over the years. Work was done on the north side of Section 15 of Norman Township to facilitate the safe removal of water.
Cleanouts have also been performed on the Blanchard Drain No. 23
It was suggested that a right of way be secured in the natural coulee between the drains and be straightened out and shaped to fit the designs of the two original channels.
There were some grassed spillways on the Norman Channel that needed to be protected. A few years before, an attempt was made to farm some of it. It returned to grass after those involved were informed of the need to protect this area.
This drain approached the age at which the structures such as tubes and risers had a tendency to start to come apart in the welds and then self-destruct.
This drain also had some black walls made of wood behind a tube and risers. They too approached the age where they may have failed due to decay. Blanchard 23 was cleaned in 2004. Norman 40 was cleaned in 2001. A lateral was considered in Section 8 in 2005. It was constructed in 2006. Norman 40 needs work to confine water in the channel.
Section 12 of Norman was cleaned in 2015.
Reassessed in 2015.
T-145-N R-51-W
Bloomfield Drain No. 46 was constructed in 1976.
Length: 3.25 miles
This is a relatively new drain, having been constructed in 1976. This was a rather controversial project, but after construction has worked well with minimal upkeep.
There were two minor problem areas: One was the outlet; the farmer tilled too close to the rock rip-rap and an erosion problem began. It has since been repaired. The other was near the 1/4 line in Section 25. Rocks were put there to make a field crossing. This caused water to back up and stand in the drain. They have since been removed.
Drain cleaned in 2002.
Entire drain cleaned in 2015.
A culvert at the outlet was replaced in 2015.
Reassessed in 2015.
Borke Drain No. 15 originally was built in 1907-08. It was rebuilt as a part of the Elm River Watershed Project as a floodway around 1959-60.
Length: 2.5 miles
A cleanout was performed in 1985.
Work has been necessary on the outlet end quite frequently. The river floods and then deposits dirt in the channel, forcing the water over the township road. Beavers have been a reoccurring problem in the culvert that carried the river under the township road at this location.
A drop culvert at the bottom was replaced in 2002. Cleaned in 2005. Some work done in 2010.
A culvert was replaced at the top of the drain in 2015.
Culvert work in the NE 1/4 of Section 22 was done in 2016.
Brokke Drain No. 30 was built in 1948.
Length: 6.25 miles
It has been a troublesome drain for some time. For some reason it had very steep side slopes and a very flat grade. Several attempts were made to correct the problem. A redesign and reconstruction were necessary. There was a washout at the end of the drain that needed attention.
An attempt was made some years ago to combine this drain with two other drains into a common outlet but was turned down by the land patrons.
The drain was reconstructed in 2003 with three drops at the bottom and the addition of 2 miles to the west. Bottom drops caused some problems. FEMA repaired the bottom drop in 2009. FEMA paid to repair the other two drops in 2011. A lateral along County Road 4 was constructed in 2001.
Repair work was completed by FEMA in 2009.
Burke Drain No. 16 was built in 1913-17. Apparently the fields were wet and it took some time to complete.
This drain was cleaned out on several occasions. Ever since the bridge under the highway was replaced with large culverts there was a problem there going south. The water would leave the channel for about half a mile then return and, with it, sediment that would slow the water even more.
Beaver dams were causing problems in the river at the outlet of the drain.
In 1997, the drain was redesigned from the highway, south. The spoil was put up as a low-level dike in an attempt to keep the water in the channel. The culverts in the field approach on the 1/4 line were given more capacity.
The inlet culverts installed south of Highway 200A were cleaned in 2005.
A road project replaced the culverts under 200A in 2015.
This project consists of 6.5 miles of newly created legal assessment drain along Sections 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 in Buxton Township, and Section 19 in Stavanger Township. The project outlets into a natural watercourse at Interstate 29 in the NE 1/4 of Section 19 in Stavanger Township. The natural watercourse is the beginning of Stavanger-Belmont Drain No. 52, also a legal drain in Traill County. The channel design consists of a 10-foot bottom width and 4:1 side slopes with a channel slope 0.07 percent for a majority of the mile and a 0.35 percent slope at the outlet. The project culvert crossings are designed to allow 0.5 foot of headloss for a five-year summer rain event based on the current USGS regression equations. The crossings will meet North Dakota Stream Crossings Standards as defined in the Administrative Code. The project will incorporate 2 sheetpile drop structures to minimize the amount of excavation required.
The main purpose of the project is to improve the stability of the existing township road bed; however, the secondary benefit of the project is to provide a better drainage benefit of the adjacent ag land. The project's impact on agricultural lands is positive due to the more efficient drainage provided by the project.
Another purpose of the project is to alleviate summer rainfall flooding problems in the project watershed. Because the project will flow into a system designed to accept the flow from this watershed, the impact to existing flooding problems within the project watershed will be negligible. Further, the project incorporates designed breakouts at the end of each mile of channel. This allows the extremely high channel flows to break out into storage provided by adjacent lands. When the high flows recede, water then enters back into the channel via culverts. This design breakout lowers the peak flows and water surface elevations in the channel downstream, providing additional flood protection to downstream landowners.
There are no new ponds or sloughs being drained by the project.
Carson Drain No. 10 was built in 1906. It was rebuilt in 1961. It was worked on to some extent when County Road 21 was rebuilt.
Cleaned in 1994.
A series of rock chutes were built in 1988 at the lower end where the drain enters the woods. These chutes have worked quite well with a minimum of attention.
The first field approach west of County Road 2 had the pipes misaligned. At least one of those was in backward.
The last cleanout was 2002 and it was found to be above design grade in the middle of the drain.
Field inlets were extended in 2007 below County Road 2. The outlet needed work. A possible cleanout or reconstruction project is planned for 2017.
Christopherson Drain No. 50 was built in 1976.
Length: 1.3 miles
This is a relatively new drain and is quite short as legal drains go.
This drain has worked well with only minor repairs required.
The last half-mile is quite deep and some erosion occurred for a few years, but seems to be stabilized now.
Cleaned in 2002.
Needs some work in the upper mile.
FEMA replaced the outlet culvert in 2011.
Cleaned in 2014 and 2015.
Elm River Drain No. 56 was built in 1997.
Length: 7 miles
This is somewhat of an unusual drain in that it has two channels; one on each side of Highway 200A.
A culvert was installed in a township ditch in 2007.
A cleaning may be necessary.
Reassessed in 2015.
Garfield Drain No. 32 was built in 1948.
Length: 3.5 miles
This drain has an unusual design in that parts of the channel in the township road ditch have only a 3:1 side slope and a 4-foot bottom width. This condition has been aggravated by wind erosion and farming operations so that the west-side slope was nearly vertical. There have been complaints about this and an attempt to correct the problem was made during a cleanout in 1996.
Another problem is at the outlet into the north branch of the Goose River. There have been some beavers at work as well as siltation in the river channel. This has caused water to back up into the drain and cattails have moved in, causing slow flows with the resultant deposition of silt in the drain.
The south mile was cleaned in 2005.
The upper end was cleaned in 2015.
Hatton Drain No. 45 was built in 1968.
Length: 2.7 miles
History: This drain gets a good share of its water from the streets of Hatton. This of itself may not be an undue burden but snow melts much sooner in urban areas. This starts the flow to the river in many years long before the snow has melted from the legal drain. The water then flows east until it drops over a low ridge where it leaves the channel and flows across the fields to the northeast and never returns to the drain. This has caused increasing problems to the landowners to the east. Another problem is that the soils are very light, almost sandy, causing them to be very unstable and easily eroded. The slopes on the field had become quite steep. Snow removal during the spring runoff has been tried many times. Sometimes it works very well and other times, it only makes matters worse.
An attempt was made in 1996 to slightly revise the shape of the drain. A dike was built on the field side, where dirt was sufficient. This seemed to help.
There are several grade stabilization structures in this drain to help reduce the water's velocity and to reduce erosion.
Cleaned in 2005.
Reassessed in 2010. Re-assessed again in 2015 to add the City of Hatton.
This drain is located in Hillsboro Township 1 mile east of the city of Hillsboro. It was built in 1919.
Length: 3.25 miles
History: This drain has been cleaned from time to time over the years. One of the problems has been the use of reinforced concrete pipes. The soil is unstable and the trucks hauling on the roads have become heavier and faster. This causes the sections to separate and eventually the holes in the roadbed above the culverts open up. This is dangerous to travelers. Several of these culverts have been replaced with corrugated metal culverts.
In 1981 the outlet of the drain was repaired as an RC&D project with the help of funds from the federal government. A large washout had developed where the drain entered into the Goose River. A lot of debris was hauled to the site. It was still eroding and dangerous. The debris was removed and two large culverts were placed in an embankment to stabilize the outlet. This has worked quite well. There has been some settlement of the embankment and some work was necessary to correct this.
Cleaned in 2003.
A meeting was held in 2009 to see if reconstruction was warranted. Patrons declined this idea.
For the most part, this drain works well.
Trees and debris removed in 2016.
Holman Drain No. 43 was built in 1968. It has a lateral to the north.
Length: 6.5 miles
History: This drain is similar to the Hatton Drain in that the soils at the lower end are light and on the sandy side. It also drops rather abruptly into the river, requiring some grade stabilization structures.
In 1996 a cleanout was done on both the main channel and the lateral. It should work quite well now.
Cleaned again in 2006 with a dike installed where the lateral turns south.
There are some problems on the outlet end with a field crossing washing out and water leaving the channel.
The south half of Section 28 was cleaned in 2015.
It was cleaned in 2006 with a dike installed where the lateral turns south.
Kaufman Drain No. 22 was built in 1917. It is located in the west borrow pit of County Road 4 running north from the Goose River for 4 miles.
Length: 4.5 miles
History: The drain has a very flat grade and is very deep, apparently intercepting groundwater in some locations. Cattails have been a problem for many years. Spraying with Rodeo has helped this problem. The ditch was cleaned with a track hoe the last time to remove only the dirt washed in by field drains. A rock rip rap chute was built at the outlet end in 1988. It was damaged by the power company crossing it with their cable-laying equipment.
The drain was cleaned in 2001.
Reassessed in 2002.
The bridge 1 mile south of County Road 13 was replaced in 2009.
A bridge was replaced in 2010 but needs to be extended.
Snagging and clearing work done on the outlet in 2011.
A culvert replaced in the south end in 2014.
Trees and debris removed in 2016.
Leirness Drain No. 34 was constructed in 1955.
Steenerson Drain No. 20 was constructed in 1916-17.
Length: 16.5 miles
The Steenerson Drain No. 20 outlet formerly was called Nasvold Drain No. 3. This drain has been cleaned out several times. In the spring of 1997, the lower end received water from the Red River flood. The flood deposited some silt into the drain. The drain was extended half a mile on the outlet end in 1988. This channel was silted up and not able to carry the water.
This drain was combined with Leirness Drain No. 34 in 1985. A change in North Dakota law permitted more than one outlet for a drain. These two drains had overlapping assessment areas which caused some rather irregular assessments for various legal descriptions. This has proved to be quite satisfactory thus far. The drains were cleaned in 2002.
Leirness Drain No. 34 had been a rather controversial situation. Much of the spoil that was left in Section 23 of Herberg Township, on the south side of the ditch, was hauled away in the spring of 1997 after the flood to replace soil on the damaged roads. Some of this spoil was hauled to the Red River bridge on Highway 200.
The drain had some problems in Sections 19 and 20 of Herberg Township. This was taken care of in a minor reconstruction in 1991.
The spring flood damaged the lower end somewhat because silt was washed off the fields and deposited on the side slope.
Nearly all the water west of I-29 from Kingman Road at Hillsboro to the Elm River flows through this drain. The drain handles it quite well except in the years where the flows are well above the design flow. Cleaned in 2002. Reconstruction started in 2008 and completed in 2009 except for the railroad and DOT culverts. Culverts were installed by the DOT and the railroad in 2001. Section 16 was cleaned in 2015.
Mayville-Blanchard Drain No. 39 was built in 1964.
Length: 5 miles
History: There are actually two separate channels with laterals. There also are two outlets. One main channel is on the east side of Sections 2 and 11 in Blanchard Township and Section 35 in Mayville Township. The other channel is on the east side of Sections 3 and 10 in Blanchard Township and Section 34 of Mayville Township. Both drains empty into a branch of the Elm River.
Cleaned in 2002.
Inlet culvert was replaced and lowered in Sections 2 and 3 of Blanchard Township in 2009.
Some cleaning on the west branch in 2011.
East branch cleaned in 2014.
McCradie Drain No. 4 was built in 1906.
Length: 6 miles
History: This drain in Section 27 was only 4,675 feet long. It was built on the line between the north and south half of this section. McCoy Drain No. 14 was built later and runs farther west. In 1959 these drains were constructed as one drain. An earthen grade stabilization structure with culverts was built at the lower end. In 1986 the assessed areas were combined as one drain and called McCoy-McCradie Drain No. 4-14.
In 1990 the drains were again redesigned and reconstructed. This time about 2 feet at the front of the cement entry to the grade stabilization structure was removed and a new grade was re-established. A few wooden bridges were removed and replaced by a large culvert.
In 1997, after the flood, three reinforced concrete culverts were replaced by corrugated metal culverts.
The outlet end was cleaned in 2008.
In 2001 McCoy was cleaned and culverts replaced at the top of the drain under a township road.
A berm was built up in Section 31 to keep the water in the channel.
Mergenthal Drain No. 5 was built in 1904.
Length: 3.5 miles
History: This drain was cleaned out in 1978.
There was a plan considered many years ago to join this drain with Paulson Drain No. 7 to share an outlet to the Goose River. Outlet culverts were replaced in 2009. American Crystal Sugar reconstructed outlet to outlet of Paulson Drain No. 7 and Mergenthal Drain No. 5 in 2009.
Surveyed in 2009 to determine a cleanout need.
Reconstructed and rerouted in 2014.
This drain was built in 1909.
Length: 9.5 miles
History: A grade stabilization structure was built at the outlet in 1974. There have been numerous comments concerning the water and cattails above the drop structure. When the project was nearly completed, a heavy rain filled this area before it could be backfilled. It was decided to omit the backfill and let the pond then be a siltation and wildlife basin. The adjacent fields drain into the ditch with no problem. This pond has been used to fill field sprayers, which isn't all bad, but some operators apparently have washed out some sprayers and killed the grass on top of the structure. A sign was placed there to discourage this practice.
Reconstruction was commenced in 2004 with 6 miles added in 2005. The work included a new drop structure. Some FEMA work done in 2006.
In 2011 the road and berm were built up.
This drain was built in 1919.
Length: 9.5 miles
History: In 1983-84 the steel piping drops were replaced with rip rap. This was a cooperative venture with the Traill County Highway Department.
There is a series of four rip-rap chutes from County Road 2 to the Red River. These chutes have had some problems, the first of which occurred some years back when the snow piled up on both sides of the drain, leaving a narrow place for the water to run. Quite a few rocks were displaced, especially on the west side at the upper end. These were replaced and then some washed out again in 1996 and 1997. The three upper drops were repaired in 1997. The rip-rap was removed. The soil was replaced first, then about 4 to 6 inches of pit run gravel was spread. Then the engineering fabric was replaced. The rip-rap was replaced next. On top of the rip-rap about 4 to 6 inches of pit run gravel was spread. It seemed that the rip-rap had never really become firmly settled in place. It appeared that the use of gravel above and below would supply some material between the rocks to more firmly hold them in place. It will be interesting to see if the rock stays in place better after this treatment.
The first mile west of County Road 2 often has grown up to cattails. It hasn't bothered lately; perhaps the water flows better. The new tenant also has been better at mowing than some others.
There is talk now (1997-98) of extending this drain farther west with some design changes as well.
There is a large pile of dirt on the south side of the upper drop. This was hauled there during construction. There was something like 70,000 cubic yards at the time. Many farmers and others have been hauling some of this away for fill of one kind or another. The material is some very tough heavy clay.
Cleaned in 2001 and 2002.
Diagonal cmp added under County Road 4 in 2005.
FEMA repaired the rock chute at the east end in 2007.
Bridge replaced with cmp in Section 29 in 2008.
A reconstruction vote is expected in 2009/2010.
Reconstruction completed in 2012 with the extensions of 2 miles to the west.
There is a lateral from the north on the west side of County Road 4.
Cleaned in 2013.
The drain was cleaned in 2001 and 2002. FEMA repaired a rock chute at the east end in 2007. The entire drain was reconstructed in 2010.
This drain was built in 1975.
Length: 8 miles
History: This drain has been working very well. A survey was made of the drain from the county road north to the upper end. Essentially the problem is field inlets that have made some deposits in the drain. The grade is very flat in this part so that a small amount of dirt can hold back water a considerable distance.
Some work had been done on the outlet end some years back. The coulee this drain empties into, had become clogged with silt and brush. This was cleared out for about a quarter-mile and has been quite satisfactory since then.
Cleaned in spots in 2003.
Outlet end needs work in Section 1 of Lindaas Township.
Cleaned in 2009.
Bottom end cleaned in 2010 and 2011.
Quite a lot of maintenance work including mowing, excavation and culvert work has been performed over the years.
This drain was built around 1906.
Length: 4.5 miles
History: It was reconstructed around 1961.
In 1988, two rock rip-rap chutes were constructed at the outlet into the Red River. A soil slide near the end of the rip-rap did some damage. This needs to be watched. It appeared to be OK in 1997 after the flood.
There have been several requests for a cleanout of this drain. Perhaps one reason is that the upper end has a flatter grade than the lower end. This makes it appear to have a high spot where the grade changes. The drain could no doubt benefit from a new design.
A bridge near the lower end has caused some consternation. It has been adequate for auto traffic but not for modern heavy farm equipment.
A dike was built from County Road 2 east toward the bridge and farmstead some years back, providing access for field equipment.
In 1997 the farmstead was devastated by the spring flood.
Reconstructed in 2003 to a five-year design, extending to County Road 4.
The outlet was surveyed in 2009 and awaits an engineer's opinion on how to fix the slides.
Outlet reshaped and rock chutes installed in 2011. There still appears to be a problem there and needs to be watched.
This drain was built in 1913.
Length: 7.5 miles
History: This drain was reconstructed as part of the Elm River Watershed Project in 1960. It has worked quite well since that time.
There has been a need for work at the very upper end of the drain. In 1997 some work was done for Jon Bakkum at the site of the former Murray siding near the middle of the drain.
In 1988, about a mile of cleanout was done beyond the outlet in the coulee to the south.
Some work done in 2000. Needs slopes pulled and further work is needed.
Surveyed in 2008 for a cleaning.
Meeting held in 2009. Patrons requested additional information. Petition to construct expected soon.
Quite a lot of maintenance has been performed on this drain throughout the years. A possible cleanout or reconstruction project will take place in 2017.
This drain was built in 1919.
Length: 9 miles
History: Both branches were built at the same time. They joined the Grandin Farm drain at the point where the two branches came together.
The drain has had several cleanouts over the years. The lower end called the Grandin Farm drain was maintained by landowners, most recently the Viker Farm.
The old drain had problems because of a rather flat grade in portions of it.
A complete reconstruction of the drain was performed in 1994-95. It also was made to encompass the Grandin Farm drain and then extended into Section 25 of Herberg Township about a half-mile. This reconstruction changed the grade and reshaped the side slopes. The drain has been working well since the work was done.
In 1996 the drain was extended to the west 2.5 miles into Hillsboro Township, by Dalrymple Farms.
The drain was damaged by the 1997 flood. The Elm River escapes north of Kelso and then flows northeast until it gets into the drain. Some of the water goes into Section 28 of Hillsboro Township and winds up in the north branch along Highway 200A. Most of the water goes into the south branch. This is not desirable because there is the potential of a permanent diversion of the Elm River.
Bridge replaced with culvert where the north part enters the main drain.
Work was done in 2003 by the County Road Department
Concrete headwall on culverts under County Road 2 was replaced in 2009 by FEMA.
This drain has required much maintenance.
Reconstruction and extension was voted down in 2011.
There are numerous bridges that need to be replaced and a cleanout needed also.
The entire drain was cleaned in 2015-16.
This drain was built sometime between 1909 and 1914.
Length: 10 miles
History: There was a great deal of litigation, even extending to the North Dakota Supreme Court. Right-of-way also was very difficult to obtain.
It was rebuilt in 1951.
Reconstruction again was made in 1966-67. Many bridges were repaired and rebuilt during this project.
In 1987, about 10.5 inches of rain fell in this area, causing some bad flooding. The drain then was cleaned on the lower end extending into Section 25 of Lindaas Township.
There have been several minor cleanouts. One was attempted in 1997, but had to be abandoned because of wet weather.
Cleaned in 2001.
Cleaning and grubbing done in 2010.
Cleaning resumed in 2016, removing beaver dams and saplings.
This drain was built in 1963.
Length: 9 miles
History: An extension of this drain, on the east side of the NW 1/4 of Section 9, then diagonally northeast to the south side of the SW 1/4 of Section 3 then east 1/2 mile then north and west into the W 1/2 of Section 3, was built in 1975-76. This is called the Norway Extension.
There is a screw gate between Sections 3 and 9. This gate has been operated by Norlyn Solberg for years.
Houston Engineering prepared a new design for this drain in 1988. The drain was not reconstructed using those plans because the drain patrons decided to just do a cleanout instead. An agreement was made between Houston Engineering and the Water Board at that time to not rebuild this portion of the drain for 10 years. This agreement is date Aug. 15, 1988 and is on file in the office.
In 1988 the drain was rerouted in the SE 1/4 of Section 4. The drain had run diagonally across this quarter. It was rerouted up the east side of the quarter, then west between the NE 1/4 and the SE 1/4 to the old route of the drain. The old drain was leveled off and farmed again.
For the most part, this drain has functioned well. The owners of the SE 1/4 of Section 9 have requested several inlet pipes in the past years to keep water off of their land. In 1997, they also requested a culvert between the NE 1/4 of Section 9 and the SE 1/4 of Section 9. This is the upper end of the original drain. A vote was held and reconstruction will begin in 2004 with the addition of 2 3/4 miles to the north and west.
Seeding completed in 2006.
Works well after some minor adjustments.
Lower end of the coulee was purchased and is now part of the drain.
Small trees were removed in the south part of Section 3 in 2011.
This drain was built in 1905.
Length: 4.5 miles
History: This drain has had several cleanouts performed over the years, the most recent in 1994.
There was a plan made many years ago to join this drain with Mergenthal Drain No. 5 to share an outlet to the Goose River.
The drain works well. There have been no major problems. FEMA work and some cleaning were done in 2002.
A culvert replacement was made with further cleaning in 2004.
American Crystal Sugar moved the south end of the drain to the 1/4 line boundary in 2009.
Outlet culvert replaced into Section 28. The Board is looking into purchasing right-of-way in Section 28 to the Goose River.
A bridge was replaced at the top of the drain to divide the water between the Paulson 7 drain and the Mickelson Drain No. 13.
FEMA cleaned silt in 2009.
This drain was built in 1916.
Length: 5.25 miles
History: There have been several attempts to reconstruct this drain. They all have failed.
In 1978 the Soil Conservation Service designed a complete reconstruction including grade stabilization structures in the lower end. This was voted down.
In 1983, in cooperation with the Traill County Highway Department, a bridge grade stabilization structure was built where the drain goes under County Road 15. In 1984 a cleanout was made from this grade stabilization structure to the bridge to the north. This area had become very unsafe because of its proximity to the township road and the very steep banks caused by erosion.
In 1989 the drain was rebuilt in Section 10. This portion was very dangerous beside the township road because of the erosion. The drain also was crooked in places. The first operation was to use a track hoe to clean out the bottom and de-water it. Later it was cleaned out with scrapers and shaped to fit the design prepared for the 1978 reconstruction.
There are still problems from Section 15 and south. These sections need attention.
For the most part the lower miles of the drain work well. The upper reaches, especially south of County Road 11, don't work well. Some spot work has been done in these areas but the whole upper end needs to be reconstructed. There was a vote held and the reconstruction was defeated. Sheet pile was installed in Section 4 to save a bridge. Plans consist of 10 rock chutes at the outlet. We hope to complete this in 2009 or we will lose FEMA funding. Five rock chutes were installed in the outlet end with help from FEMA. There are still many problems on the entire drain but there is no funding available.
Entire drain cleaned in 2015.
This drain was built in 1918.
Length: 4.5 miles
History: There is a washout in the NE 1/4 of Section 2. Some sort of grade stabilization structure may be required if the washout increases in size.
Cleaned in 2002.
Bottom end stabilized with rock about 2004.
Field crossing at the top end that was worked on looks good. Necessary to watch bottom end as the slopes are collapsing by a yard at the east end.
FEMA to repair slopes in 2009.
Lower mile needs work.
Patrons are working on a petition to clean the drain from County Road 2 to the river.
There are money problems to clean the drain.
Reconstructed in 2015. Outlet needs work.
Hanson Drain No. 18 was built in 1913. Miller Drain No. 29 was built in 1926. These two drains were officially combined by a reclassification of benefits in 1983. These two channels were rebuilt during construction of the Elm River Watershed Project in the early 1960s.
Length: 11 miles
History: There are two grade stabilization structures at the lower end of the Miller Channel where the water enters the Goose River. There has been constant trouble of one kind or another at this location. One problem pertained to many flowing wells discharging water into the drains. This created immense blocks of ice that floated down to the drop structures during spring runoff. Some large I-beams were placed upstream of the upper drops. This helped some. When the water came fast enough and strong enough, these blocks of ice went over the emergency spillway, cutting vegetation quite seriously.
Later a second set of pipes was added to the drop structures. This helped some.
The welds in the tube and risers began to fail and had to be replaced. New tubes were added to the lower drop, making four large pipes. Before this was done, considerable money was spent in a series of soil borings to make sure the soil was safe for this work. Then the new tubes were added, including cathode protection. Almost immediately the west two pipes separated because a slide developed there. They were then welded shut. For several years, only two new pipes have carried the water. Some water goes over the emergency spillway from time to time in the spring.
The Soil Conservation Service designed a concrete chute to replace the lower drops. The drain patrons voted down the proposal at which point the SCR canceled the agreement with the WRD.
Hanson 18 was cleaned in 2002. S. Mayville Drain 9 takes a lot of pressure off this drain and combined outlet.
The north pipes failed in 2009 and were fixed by FEMA.
The new pipes on the south side separated in 2011. FEMA re-laid them in 2012. Some rip-rap was added at the same time.
Bridge work was performed in 2015.
South Mayville Drain No. 9 was built in 1910 and combined with drains 18 and 29.
Length: 6 miles
History: Part of this drain has been taken over by the Miller 29 drain at the upper end. In 1992, part of this drain going diagonally across the NE 1/4 of Section 19 was abandoned. Instead the drain was routed along the east side of the quarter. When the Miller 29 drain comes to the east side of Section 19, some of the water flows north in this new channel. There is no ditch block to separate this water.
This drain has been cleaned out at various times. It seems to work quite well. There is a very steep grade at the lower end and this should be watched for unusual erosion.
Reconstruction and an addition of a lateral from the west were done in 2002-04. Extensive work was done to the outlet for erosion control.
Outlet culvert under a township road needs to be replaced when funds are available.
All water west of Highway 18 in the Miller 29 drain now goes north into S. Mayville Drain 9.
Culvert fixed under a township road at the outlet in 2010.
Lateral from the west also cleaned in 2011.
Culvert by the airport repaired in 2015. Right-of-way to be determined by the airport.
Thoreson Drain No. 64 was constructed in 2016-17.
Length: 1.88 miles
This drain outlets into the north branch of the Goose River at a point of about 1,950 feet south of the NE corner of the SW 1/4 of Section 5 of 147-52. This drain was constructed along the west side of the SW 1/4 of Section 5 of 147-52, the west side of Section 8 of 147-52 and the east side of Section 18 of 147-52 for approximately 1,930 feet to the north branch of the Goose River.
The watershed area of this drain is about 3.2 square miles. Soils are predominately Glyndon silt loam, also some Bearden silty clay loam and Fargo silty clay loam. Using the North Dakota SCS Hydrology Manual the soil complex number for the watershed is 70. The watershed is approximately 97 percent cropland with the remainder roads and farmsteads.
This drain has a bottom width of 8 feet with side slopes of 5:1 road side and 4:1 field side. The channel grade will be 0.07 percent for the north half-mile and 0.05 percent for the remainder of the channel. All existing culverts will be removed and replaced with new corrugated metal culverts except the 54-inch by 110-foot CMP between the SW corner of Section 8 and the NE corner of Section 18. The existing 54-inch by 110-foot CMP between Sections 8 and 18 was installed by the Trail County Highway Department in the spring of 2015 and was installed to adequate size and grade.
The channel design uses the 10-year frequency run-off curve from the North Dakota SCS Hydrology Manual to determine the required capacity. The channel is designed to remove 0.044 inches of run-off per hour from a watershed of 2,050 acres. This design will remove the run-off (1.01 inches) from a 24-hour, 10-year frequency rainfall (3.5 inches) in 22.8 hours. The run-off produced from this storm event for this watershed is about 171 acre-feet under antecedent moisture condition II. All hydraulic data for channel and corrugated metal pipe will be contained on data sheets for this drain.
The past 15 years' crop losses due to flooding have been very severe in this area.
This drain should have minimal impact on any identified wetlands. Identified wetlands are not to be drained by this drain.
Viking-Lindaas No. 44 was constructed in 1966.
Length: 2.25 miles
This relatively short drain has worked quite well. It has been cleaned out several times. The outlet was stabilized (paid for by FEMA) in 2006 and cleaned again in 2011. Some culverts are in need of resetting or replacing.