Brief History of Drainage Ditch Law in Minnesota

Drainage ditch systems are owned by all benefitting landowners and managed by the county in which they are located. Shared responsibilities for management of public drainage are done by the Drainage Authority, Ditch Inspector, and Ditch Administrator. 

• Carver County Drainage Ditches:

  • GIS Drainage Ditch Map: Carver County Public Ditch System
  • County Ditches: The Carver County Board of Commissioners serves as the Drainage Authority for the 7 county drainage ditches. 
  • Joint Ditches with Sibley, Wright, and Mcleod counties: The Carver County Board of Commissions and the respective Board of Commissions from Sibley, Wright, and Mcleod Counties serves as the Drainage Authority for 10 joint drainage ditches.

• Drainage Ditch Inspection and Repairs

  Contact: Mike Wanous - Carver County Soil and Water Conservation District Manager
  Office: (952)-466-5235
  mwanous@carvercountymn.gov
  
  Mike Wanous oversees the repairs and inspections of public ditches within Carver County, ensuring they meet the necessary standards and regulations.

• Drainage Ditch Assessments and Redetermination of Benefits

  Contact: David Frischmon - County Ditch Administrator
  Office: (952)-361-1506
  dfrischmon@carvercountymn.gov
  
  David Frischmon, Carver County Property and Finance Division Director, manages drainage ditch assessments, redetermination of drainage ditch benefits, buffer strip payments, and records of drainage ditch proceedings.

• Apportioning Drainage Ditch Benefits

  Contact: Ditch Team
  Office: (952)-361-1972
  ccditchteam@carvercountymn.gov

• The Ditch Team within the Land Records and Vitals department is tasked with apportioning ditch benefits arising from lot splits, plats, combos, and other relevant activities. They ensure that the distribution is done accurately and fairly.