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Drainage could be a major issue in North Dakota for 2021

At the 2021 North Dakota Legislature, drainage is among the numerous agricultural issues on the table. Proposed bills could affect some drainage permit procedures.

In an interview with AgWeek, state senator Larry Luick said he anticipates bills that will affect or involve the permit process for subsurface drainage. For the last five years, the state has allowed tiling projects of less than 80 acres to proceed without permits from local boards. Luick says this has led to some negative impacts. As a result, a bill has been written that would require permitting on all subsurface drainage projects regardless of size. There could also be changes to the permit fee system, which could result in applicants paying notification costs that would have previously been shouldered by drain boards. | READ MORE