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Water Resources Commissioner outlines drain program workload, MS4 compliance and groundwater concerns
Summary
Ottawa County Water Resources Commissioner Joe Bush described drain maintenance workload, soil erosion permits, MS4 stormwater program activity, pond and catch-basin inspections, a revolving drain fund, and growing concern about groundwater recharge and drying shallow wells.
Joe Bush, the Ottawa County Water Resources Commissioner, gave a detailed report July 8 on the department's responsibilities under Michigan's drain code, daily maintenance workload, permitting activity and an emerging countywide groundwater concern.
Bush said the department issues soil erosion permits (965 active permits in 2024, 630 new in 2024) and runs the county's MS4 municipal separate storm sewer system program. He told commissioners the office identified about 8,000 catch basins in 2024, inspected 300 outfalls that year (all passed water tests), maintained roughly 310 ponds and completed more than 400 inspection reports. He said the office runs GIS mapping for…
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