by Dennis Dalman
editor@thenewsleaders.com
Residents in Sartell should refrain from dumping yard waste in or near drainage ditches because, in some cases, such dumping is creating the very flooding problems that some complain about.
At the June 9 Sartell City Council meeting, Sartell City Engineer Mike Nielson said it would be good if all residents are made aware of the problem. He explained why. On the night of Saturday, June 6, Sartell and much of the surrounding area received in excess of four inches of rain in an hour’s time. Some areas of the city experienced flooding. One of those areas was a parcel of property south of 2nd Street S., in a wetlands area known as Davenport Lake, which is an area of water controlled by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Because of the complaint from an owner in that area, Nielsen and the city’s public-works director, Brad Borders, visited the area. A city crew had to clean out a drainage-and-utility easement area next to the backyard of the residence. While cleaning out the ditch, workers noticed a lot of yard debris had been dumped in that ditch area, which rains washed into the culverts, plugging the culverts.
Nielson said his staff will inform residents in that area that: there is a compost site in the city for yard waste; and, such yard waste, when a lot of rain falls, can cause flooding problems to yards and basements.
Nielson said all residents in Sartell should be aware of that potential problem and not contribute to it.
