Rice Creek Watershed District amends engineering contract for Anoka Ramsey drainage repair

Rice Creek Watershed District amends engineering contract for Anoka Ramsey drainage repairThe district has approved a $30,000 scope increase for Houston Engineering to assess threatened and endangered plant species along the Anoka Ramsey Judicial Ditch #1, ensuring the upcoming stormwater repair project avoids costly state takings permits.

The RCWD Board of Managers approved a $30,000 amendment to Houston Engineering Inc.'s task order, bringing the total repair report budget to $132,000.

A state database flagged at least 14 threatened and endangered plant species within a mile of the proposed repair corridor.

While work within the original ditch footprint is exempt from state statutes, equipment access outside the right-of-way risks triggering takings permits that could cost over $100,000 per plant.

The Anoka Ramsey Judicial Ditch #1 is the second-to-last major public drainage system slated for repair by the district.

At its July 8 meeting, the Rice Creek Watershed District (RCWD) Board of Managers approved a $30,000 scope of services amendment for Houston Engineering Inc. (HEI) to conduct ecological surveys for the Anoka Ramsey Judicial Ditch #1 repair project. The amendment brings HEI's total task order for the ditch repair report to $132,000. During its initial desktop review, HEI consulted the state's Natural Heritage Information System and found that at least 14 threatened and endangered plant species have been sighted within one mile of the proposed repair corridor. To comply with Minnesota Statutes, HEI will engage Critical Connections Ecological Services to conduct on-site vegetation reviews along the 8.4-mile ditch system. The sub-consultant will delineate exempt versus non-exempt work areas and develop a protection plan to avoid non-compliance during construction. District Engineer Chris Otterness explained to the board that while work within the original footprint of the ditch is legally exempt from the state statute, construction access and equipment movement outside the immediate right-of-way could trigger violations. Working around existing chain-link fences and maneuvering heavy equipment could push the construction footprint into protected habitats. "If we're doing that, we may be doing takings of rare plants along the area," Otterness stated, noting that a takings permit from the Department of Natural Resources could cost upwards of $100,000 per plant. The district aims to document pre- and post-construction conditions to demonstrate successful habitat avoidance, a strategy it has successfully employed on previous ditch repairs. The Anoka Ramsey Judicial Ditch #1 is the district's second-to-last major public drainage system slated for repair. Representatives from the City of Mounds View attended the meeting to express support for the drainage improvements, noting the city's nearly $1 million investment in maintaining its own interconnected stormwater facilities.