Delaware County advances Indian Run Lateral No. 3 drainage petition to a second hearing after mixed testimony

Delaware County commissioners voted Dec. 8, 2025 to advance a petition to study drainage improvements in the Indian Run Lateral No. 3 watershed to a second hearing, after hearing technical findings from county staff, testimony from nearby landowners who support a petition-based improvement and competing testimony from the Stream and Wetlands Foundation proposing a mitigation‑bank alternative.

The board’s decision followed a report read into the record by Brett Bacon, deputy administrator for the Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District, who said the watershed covers approximately 193 acres, is mostly agricultural with a small portion in the village of Ashley, and has an existing subsurface tile system that was privately improved in 2024. Bacon read the preliminary cost estimate for replacement-style work: a construction estimate of $65,384, project administration and engineering of $2,500, first‑year drainage maintenance estimated at 5% ($3,269), for a total current‑value estimate of $71,153; he noted contingencies typically run 15–20% and that individual parcel assessments will be calculated only if the petition moves forward to a final hearing.

"Currently, we have no reason to believe it's not functioning properly," Bacon said when commissioners asked whether immediate repairs were needed.

Several landowners…