Public Drainage Ditch Buffer Study

The 2005 Minnesota Legislature directed the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) to conduct an assessment of the use, maintenance, and benefits of required grass strips along public drainage ditches, in consultation with farm groups, local government units, conservation groups, and federal agencies implementing voluntary buffer programs. A work group of stakeholders was established for this study and met five times between September 9, 2005, and February 8, 2006. The work group decided not only to provide perspective and recommendations for this study, but also to explore other drainage issues, potential areas of consensus, and associated recommendations.