Warrick County approves $353,074 purchase of ditching equipment as surveyor outlines multi‑year drainage plan

Warrick County commissioners approved $353,074 on a 7–0 vote to buy a tractor-mounted “hurricane” trencher and related equipment using the county’s rainy day fund.

County Surveyor Dennis Wilsbacher told the board the county’s drainage network is heavily silted and functioning at ‘‘about 40% capacity’’ in many places and said the new machine would let crews reestablish flow lines more quickly and at lower cost than conventional “dip‑and‑dump” contracts. Wilsbacher said the tractor he proposes has front and rear PTO and GPS grade control so crews could set culvert flow elevations and let the machine maintain grade while discharging spoil directly onto adjacent fields.

Wilsbacher said the machine will be able to mulch small trees at the bank with an attached chipper and then dig a wider, flatter channel that sustains flow rather…