DRAINAGE COMMISSION

The Board of Drainage Commissioners of the State of Minnesota succeeded the Red River Valley Drainage Commission in 1897, and consisted of three members appointed by the governor (Laws 1897 c318). The commission's composition was changed in 1901 to consist of the governor, the state auditor, and the secretary of state, and its formal name became the Drainage Commission of the State of Minnesota (Laws 1901 c90). The commission appointed a state drainage engineer, who performed or supervised work carried out under the commission's auspices.

The commission's function was to establish priorities for, and arrange for the construction of, ditches needed to drain wetlands belonging to the state so as to make them suitable for farming. It also supervised all of the state drainage ditches, inspected the ditches annually, and reported their condition to the counties in which they were located. Details of ditch survey, authorization, and construction procedures are specified in General Laws 1905 c230.

The Drainage Commission was abolished effective April 25, 1919, and all of its powers and authority were transferred to the newly created Department of Drainage and Waters (Laws 1919 c471).

State Drainage Engineers: George A. Ralph, 1901-1913; E. V. Willard (acting), 1914-1919.

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The reports focus on the construction and condition of state ditches, drainage benefits attained, and drainage and flood control needs. Most reports include a map or maps of the state drainage ditches. Also included in the reports are photos of ditches, swamplands, and dredging equipment. Includes two reports of its successor, the Department of Drainage and Waters.

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Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited volume and page or item and folder title here]. Minnesota. State Drainage Commission. Annual and Biennial Reports. Minnesota Historical Society. State Archives.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Accession Information:

Accession number(s): None

Processing Information:

Catalog ID Nos.: 1703165 (history); 1710416.

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This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:

Ditches -- Minnesota.

Drainage -- Minnesota.

Flood control -- Minnesota.

Organizations:

Minnesota. Board of State Drainage Commissioners.

Minnesota. Department of Drainage and Waters.

Types of Documents:

Maps -- Minnesota.

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