Minnesota. State 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.

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