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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-PPW-063 Farm Field Drainage COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK POLICY NO: 2017-PPW-063 TITLE: FARM FIELD DRAINAGE – PROJECTS AT THE REQUEST OF LANDOWNERS ADOPTED: Sept. 21, 2017 (C-297/17) SUPERCEDES NO: TO BE REVIEWED: PAGE NO: 1 of 2 POLICY PURPOSE: Facilitating the drainage of private land is not a public responsibility and as such any necessary modifications to Municipal controlled Lands and Rights-of-Way will be at the landowner’s sole expense. Therefore, to ensure that any work in/on Municipal controlled Lands and Rights-of- Ways for the purposes of facilitating farm field drainage improvements are: 1. Designed to be safe for vehicular traffic; 2. Designed and constructed so as to not be nuisance for the municipality or adjacent landowners; 3. Conforms to Municipal Bylaw and Provincial Legislation; 4. Ensures construction is carried out with good workmanship; and 5. Approved by the Municipality prior to commencement of work. The cumulative effects of alterations to natural drainage patterns that have been made by agricultural operations have impacted where overland drainage water flows and even how fast it moves across both private and public lands. Examples of alterations to drainage patterns include: 1. Irrigation of agricultural lands; 2. Additional farmland drainage work altering the timing and volume of water flow following high rainfall or melting events; 3. Unapproved road approaches constructed by private parties that used insufficiently sized or no culvert for farm field access and otherwise; 4. Soil drifting and the cultivation/farming of road allowance back slopes impacting the rate, timing and volume of drainage flow of runoff; and/or 5. Closure of irrigation ditches that were previously used for both water delivery and drainage conveyance. Any required land acquisition and/or working space agreements will be the responsibility of the landowner. Acquisition of lands intended to be turned over to the Municipality as part of the project shall be at the landowners’ sole expense and shall only be accepted once approved by the Municipality. POLICY GUIDELINES: At the request of landowners, the County will consider accepting farm field drainage in County on the following basis: COUNTY OF NEWELL - POLICY HANDBOOK POLICY NO: 2017-PPW-063 TITLE: FARM FIELD DRAINAGE – PROJECTS AT THE REQUEST OF LANDOWNERS ADOPTED: Sept. 21, 2017 (C-297/17) SUPERCEDES NO: TO BE REVIEWED: PAGE NO: 2 of 2 1. The landowner provides to the County written confirmation from Alberta Environment that the work has been reviewed, approved, and conforms to all Legislation and Regulations of the Province of Alberta; 2. If Alberta Environment requires a Water Act Approval a copy of the approval must be provided to the County; 3. The landowner provides to the County written confirmation from the Eastern Irrigation District that the work has been reviewed and approved; 4. The landowner provides to the County written consent of all landowners who may be adversely affected by the proposed work as determined by the County; 5. The landowner provides to the County a completed Permit/Application including detailed engineered drawings (Plan and Cross-Section designs) of the proposed work for County review and approval prior to any work commencing. 6. The landowner provides to the County the name and contact information of the intended contractor for review and approval prior to any work commencing. 7. Work does not commence until all approvals and consents have been reviewed and approved by the County and authorization from the County provided on the Permit/Application to commence work. All costs of such work will be at the sole expense of the landowner. Culvert and other construction materials must be new. All waste material(s) must be properly disposed of. When constructing drains adjacent to roads: 1. An effort will be made to construct the drain 1 m below the road and 0.6 m below the field as a minimum; 2. The maximum spoil berm on the field side allowed shall be 0.6 m above the field and not be above the road elevation, preferably 0.3 m below the road shoulder; and 3. Where the spoil berm will have a negative impact on the adjacent land: o Option 1 – the dirt will be spread in the adjacent field where it can benefit the landowner, or o Option 2 – the excess material will be hauled away.