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Public works reports on storm damage and requests joint drainage authority meeting to address high weir
Summary
County public works reported washouts and storm-related damage, said a 48-inch culvert is being installed on County Road 12 NW of Chicago, and commissioners discussed convening a joint drainage authority and asking DNR to lower a weir that is higher than its design elevation.
Todd, a public works staff member, told the Stevens County Board that storm damage this season produced multiple washouts and 47 sites have been submitted to Homeland Security Emergency Management (HSEM) for potential reimbursement. He reported that County Road 12 northwest of the Chicago area washed out again on Aug. 22 after a culvert collapsed and that a larger culvert is being installed: "That 48 inch culvert is coming today," Todd said, adding it should be in place by the end of the week.
Todd described ongoing maintenance work including seal-coating lots, shaping and paving concrete aprons, and rental arrangements to cover tractor needs because delivery of a new tractor is delayed until late 2025. He also told the board that one of the newer motor graders is experiencing transmission problems that remain under warranty and that the county is seeking warranty repairs.
A separate drainage issue prompted extended discussion. A commissioner reported that a weir in a judicial ditch system is "about two-tenths higher than it was designed to be," which participants said equates to roughly 2'3 inches. Commissioners discussed options to resolve the obstruction and proposed convening the joint drainage authority to direct a letter to the Department of Natural Resources and the drainage authority asking that the weir be returned to its installed (design) elevation.
Board members agreed the county, as the home county, should convene the joint drainage authority and seek the necessary elevations be restored to what was approved in the original project plan. Commissioners noted DNR and Fish and Wildlife had been involved in prior meetings on the site and that statutory/authority constraints may dictate the process.
Ending: Public works staff will proceed with the culvert installation and the board asked staff to convene the joint drainage authority and prepare a letter seeking corrective action to lower the weir to its design elevation, subject to the drainage authority's processes.
