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Supervisors hear report on drainage district pumps clogged by weed growth; Corps offers small pumps
Summary
Board members were told a drainage district experienced grates and pumps plugging due to weed growth; county used chains and temporary hoses and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers offered 6‑inch pumps, but officials said they had limited effect compared with the main 50‑inch pump.
During correspondence on Aug. 4, a supervisor reported that a drainage district had trouble keeping slough grates clear because of a type of weed that washed into the system and repeatedly plugged intakes, reducing flow to area pumps.
The supervisor said local crews used temporary hoses and at one point pulled a grate with a chain to restore flow, but the debris then reached pumps. He described the main pump as “a little over a 100,000 gallon a minute” and said two backup pumps were substantially smaller, “pump, like, 9, 10,” (as recorded in the meeting). County staff contacted the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (referred to in the meeting as the “Corps”), which offered a couple of 6‑inch pumps; county staff said those would not substantially replace the main pump.
Supervisors said with a week without rain the situation had improved; they also reported that pump repairs and backup pump availability were being tracked. The board did not take formal action but discussed the issue and the limits of available temporary assistance.
