by Amanda Rink, Editor
August 7, 2025 – After weeks of discussion and multiple rounds of negotiations, the Wright County Board of Supervisors approved an agreement allowing Twin Rivers Energy to conduct seismic testing across county roads, but only with strict safeguards, enhanced communication requirements, and financial protections for landowners.
The project, which covers multiple counties, will see roughly three-quarters of its activity in Wright County. Using large seismic trucks, crews will send sound waves into the ground to create a subsurface map. The work is part of Twin River’s gas exploration project and will occur in 5- to 10-mile segments, generally moving from south to north.
Twin Rivers has begun operations in Wright County along state-owned highways; this agreement will allow them to move onto County Secondary Roads.
Communication Improvements
Early in the meeting, county officials shared the problems encountered during Twin River’s initial exploration, specifically when seismic crews moved onto secondary gravel roads without prior notice. The lack of communication created confusion and left the county workers feeling scrambled.
To prevent a repeat, Twin Rivers agreed to:
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Provide daily operations reports to county engineers, detailing the prior day’s work, current activities, and the next five days’ plans.
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Explore a near-real-time online map showing crew locations.
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Invite county representatives to attend morning safety and operations meetings.
“We want to make sure there is full transparency and protection for landowners and county infrastructure,” said County Engineer Adam Clemons. The routes will be submitted daily to Clemons, and he will approve or deny roads based on the condition and any other concerns.
Sizable Permit Fee and Insurance Policy
Seismic trucks will operate under strict vibration limits, no more than 0.5 inches per second (PPV) at any sensitive structure. A 250-foot setback remains in place for bridges and other county infrastructure.
An independent contractor will continue to supervise vibration readings. The PPV monitoring operator will work directly in front of each truck and remain in constant radio contact with the driver. Trucks will be GPS-programmed, with a map provided by Clemons detailing culverts, intakes, and bridge abutments, so they cannot operate in those locations.
However, because Wright County has such extensive and aged drainage systems, the maps are not going to cover the entirety of the system. Because of this fact, Twin Rivers has named Wright County under its insurance.
The policy covers future claims stemming from this operation, even years later, totaling $11 million aggregate coverage.
In addition, the county will collect a permit fee of $110,000 based on the portion of the project within Wright County. These funds will go into a dedicated drainage account to repair any damage not covered by Twin River’s insurance.
Officials stressed their duty, as both county supervisors and drainage trustees, to protect landowners’ systems and prevent taxpayer funds from being used for repairs.
