MARSHALL — Lyon County will be contributing funding for a proposed water retention project in Nordland Township. On Wednesday, county commissioners voted to contribute up to about $9,099, after hearing a request from Area II Minnesota River Basin Projects.

Area II Executive Director Kerry Netzke and Yellow Medicine River Watershed District Administrator Emily Javens presented commissioners with information on the proposal, as well as a request to help fund a local cost-sharing match. The proposal, a road retention project in Section 6 of Nordland Township, has already received local funding commitments from the Yellow Medicine River Watershed District, Nordland Township, and Eidsvold Township, Netzke and Javens said.

The retention project is designed to help prevent flooding problems by temporarily allowing water to pool after a storm event, and slowing the flow of water. The proposed road retention project would affect a stream crossing on 120th Avenue in Section 6 of Nordland Township. The project would raise the elevation of the road, and replace an existing culvert with a new 36-inch culvert.

The proposed retention project would be upstream from an existing road retention in section 31 of Eidsvold Township. That project would stay in place after the Nordland road retention is built, Netzke said.

The total estimated cost for the new road retention project is around $116,000. Area II has received state bonding money that will cover 75 percent of the project costs, which would be $87, 297.98. A 25 percent local match would come to $29,099.32. So far, the project has received a total local funding commitment of $20,000, Netzke said. The Yellow Medicine River Watershed District will be contributing $10,000, and Nordland and Eidsvold townships will each be contributing $5,000.

Area II was requesting that Lyon County contribute the remaining $9,099.32 for the local match funding. If the project costs come in under estimate, the county’s funding portion would be reduced.

“I think it’s a good deal,” Commissioner Gary Crowley said of the proposal. If the two townships were contributing funding to the retention project, they must feel it is needed, he said.

Commissioners voted to contribute up to $9,099.32 to the retention project.