MARSHALL — A request for a possible repair project on Lyon County Ditch 12 was put on hold this week. Lyon County commissioners said they wanted to take time to clarify whether they could act on the proposal, or if they needed a ditch repair petition first.

Lyon County Soil and Water Conservation District Administrator John Biren said he was seeking the county drainage authority’s approval to get a repair report for a ditch system that flows into Camden State Park and the Redwood River.

“County Ditch number 12 is a system that was put in, in about 1912,” Biren said. The ditch runs through part of Coon Creek and Lyons Townships, southwest of the city of Lynd.

In 2023, Lyon County’s drainage authority funded a study to look at possible areas that could be used for water retention on the CD 12 system, Biren said.

“The reason why we did that is, the outlet of this system is in (Camden) State Park, into an unnamed tributary that goes into the Redwood River. The Redwood River is a designated trout stream,” Biren said. “This last year, we applied for a Water Quality and Storage grant to further investigate the storage areas, where we could store water on the land without increasing the outlet size. We had an informational meeting with the landowners, and it was received well.”

However, the investigation also found that repairs were needed on the CD 12 outlet, Biren said. He was asking commissioners for permission to hire engineering firm ISG to develop a repair report for the ditch.

“I would guess that this repair will be greater than $100,000. That’s my guess,” Biren said.

In discussion of the request, Commissioner Rick Anderson asked if the drainage authority would need a ditch repair petition for the proposal.

“I just don’t want the state to come back and say we did something wrong,” Anderson said.

Commissioners directed Biren to get a clarification on what the appropriate process would be for the repair report to be done. The matter would go back before the drainage authority at a future meeting.