Maintaining the Wild Rice Watershed District

The Wild Rice Watershed District occupies about 2,080 square miles in the Red River Basin of western Minnesota. The Wild Rice Watershed District Board works with various engineering firms to balance environmental and human factors in the area. “When the district was formed, we needed a diverse engineering firm to help with various projects,” said Warren Seykora, chairman of the board. “We hired Houston Engineering because they have a multi-talented staff and they always get the right person for each job. We’ve continued to hire them for the majority of work.”

Understanding a river, especially one that runs north instead of south, is a real challenge. “Houston Engineering’s knowledge of the Red River Valley is tremendous,” explained Seykora. “Some of their staff members grew up in the valley, so they know the problems and characteristics. They have been very versatile in their approaches to our problems, thinking out of the box and modifying solutions to fit.”

Environmental concerns are often at the center of public debate in watershed districts. Agencies that can influence and impact a natural area need to carefully weigh all their options before taking action. “Houston Engineering is always looking at mitigating or minimizing any environmental impact on a project,” said Seykora. “Their philosophy is to fit the project into the area and protect the environment. The staff is open-minded and environmentally conscious.”

- Warren Seykora, chairman of the Wild Rice Watershed District board