Conservation to reconsider prairie ditch along Cornelia trail

Though Wright County Conservation has previously had success establishing small prairie areas, such as the one near the bus barn at the C-G-D high school, a ditch along O’Brien Avenue near the Lake Cornelia walking path has proved problematic for more than one reason. It can take several years to establish the plants and more for some species to flower, which contributed to a failed attempt to establish wildflowers in the Conservation-maintained ditch in the past. More recently, residents of O’Brien have objected to the project for aesthetic reasons. Some residents, members of the Lake Cornelia Improvement Association, and Eric Rector of Wright Count Conservation discussed the issue before the county supervisors on Monday.

Steve Burkheimer, area resident, said that when Conservation first started trying to establish the prairie, there hadn’t been much success and that the area looked weedy and unattractive. “There’s more mosquitos, there’s more rodents,” Burkheimer said. “We would like to see just grass planted and have it mowed.”

The issue with mowing the ditch, Rector said, was that gravel pushed off the road after snowplowing could be thrown by the mower blades. He was also unhappy with how the ditch had been treated by residents, showing some photos he’d taken in June that indicated some dumped waste like grass clippings and corn cobs. Rector said he’d also found kitty litter and carp. “At what point does the Conservation board have to continue to clean up their mess?” he said.

After some discussion, Supervisor Rick Rasmussen made a motion to request the Conservation board to review the project. Supervisor Karl Helgevold seconded, and the motion was carried.

For the full story and more county business, see the July 14 edition of the Monitor.