District Meeting:  1st Tuesday of the month; 4:30 pm at the Courthouse in Madison

District Man​agers

FUN FACTS and TRIVIA

• Established on April 19, 1971                                                                                              
  
• District formed to aid local citizens who requested help in controlling flood waters
  
• Approximately 74% of land surface is located in Lac qui Parle County, 19% in Yellow Medicine County, & 7% in Lincoln County
  
• Total land area drained by two rivers contains 1,712 square miles with 719 miles located in South Dakota
  
• 1 of 13 major tributaries in the MN River Basin
  
• LQP River source at Lake Hendricks, MN
  
• Yellow Bank River source near Southshore, SD

HISTORY and ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

The initial petition to establish the Lac qui Parle-Yellow Bank Watershed District was submitted to the Minnesota Water Resources Board on July 14, 1967 by the County Commissioners of Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, and Yellow Medicine Counties. At that time, the Minnesota Water Resources Board (now called Board of Water and Soil Resources - BWSR) was also considering a petition seeking the establishment of the Big Stone Lake Watershed District. Land areas in northern Lac qui Parle County, including the watershed of the Yellow Bank River within the county and land in the county that drained directly into the Minnesota River between the mouth of the Yellow Bank River and the Lac qui Parle River were included in both petitions. 

In September, 1968, the Board approved the Big Stone Lake petition and established the Upper Minnesota River Watershed District. Those land areas in Lac qui Parle County included in both petitions were included in the Upper Minnesota River Watershed District.  This action was appealed to the District court by the aggrieved parties. They wished to have those lands in question in Lac qui Parle County excluded from the Upper Minnesota River Watershed.  In November 1969, the District Court reduced the area of the Upper Minnesota River Watershed District in Lac qui Parle County.  This action was appealed by the Minnesota Water Resources Board, and the appeal was ultimately dismissed in May 1970. 

After due and proper notice was given, the Board conducted a public hearing on October 8, 1970 in Madison, Minnesota on the nominating petition for the establishment of the Lac qui Parle-Yellow Bank Watershed District.  The Board ordered the establishment of the Lac qui Parle-Yellow Bank Watershed District on April 19, 1971 and the appointment of the first district board of managers.  The Board of Managers was selected from a list of nominees submitted by the County Commissioners of the affected counties. 

Madison, Minnesota was designated as the official place of business.  The first meeting of the Lac qui Parle-Yellow Bank Watershed District was held on May 13, 1971 in the office of the County Agent, Lac qui Parle County Courthouse, Madison, MN.  The Board of Managers were:  James Bauler, Walter Maatz, David B. Olson, Willard Pearson, & James Stone. 

The purpose of the District was to aid local citizens who had requested help in controlling flooding in the watershed.  Much cross-over flooding had occurred over farm land between sub-watersheds, and had been identified as the highest priority need for the new district to address.  The original Watershed District Plan was established, as required by law, in October 1972.

​​​​​​​Darrel Ellefson - Chairperson                               Michael Frank - Publicity
1845 287th Avenue                                                    106 Park Lane
Dawson, MN 56232                                                    Canby, MN  56220
County:  Lac qui Parle                                                County:  Yellow Medicine
Term Expires:  03-31-2024                                        Term Expires:  01-01-2024
Telephone: 612-756-1898                                         Telephone: 507-829-5960
Email:  darrele@frontiernet.net                                 Email:  michael.frank56220@yahoo.com

Andrew Weber - Treasurer                                   David Craigmile - Secretary
1714 346th St                                                           3600 140th Street
Bellingham, MN 56212                                              Boyd, MN  56218
County:  Lac qui Parle                                                County:  Lac qui Parle
Term Expires:  03-31-2026                                        Term Expires:  03-31-2025
Telephone:  320-226-5679                                        Telephone:  320-855-2428
Email:  weber.andrew.aw@gmail.com                        Email:  dacmile@farmerstel.net

John Cornell - Vice-Chairman                              John Kolb - Drainage/District Attorney
3881 170th Avenue                                                   Rinke Noonan
Canby, MN  56220                                                    1015 W St. Germain St #300
County:  Lincoln                                                        St. Cloud, MN 56303
Term Expires:  04-01-2024                                      Telephone:  320-251-6700
Telephone:  507-223-7220
Email:  johncornell1952@gmail.com 

​Staff

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Trudy Hastad - Administrator
Courthouse, 600 6th Street, Suite #7, Madison, MN  56256
Telephone:  320-598-3117
Email:  trudy.hastad@lqpco.com

Mitchell Enderson - Coordinator
Courthouse, 600 6th Street, Suite #7, Madison, MN  56256
Telephone:  320-598-3319
Email:  mitchell.enderson@lqpco.com

Jared Roiland - Ditch Manager/Inspector

Courthouse, 600 6th Street, Suite #7, Madison, MN 56256

Telephone:  320-598-7061

Email:  jared.roiland@lqpco.com

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Ron Fjerkenstad - Stonehill Regional Park Manager
P.O. Box 2, Canby, MN  56220
Telephone:  507-223-7586
Email:  173@frontiernet.net