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Senate committee asks Division of Water for clearer guidance on creek‑cleaning after flooding
Summary
Senate Joint Resolution 62, sponsored by Senator Maiden, asks the Division of Water to clarify how local governments can clear creeks, streams and ditches after recurrent flooding; committee voted the resolution favorably and sent it to the floor.
Senator Maiden told the committee that repeated flooding — including events in 2022 and 2025 that prompted state emergency declarations — has left many communities asking for clearer authority and guidance to clear creeks and waterways.
"We just want to be able to clean out our creeks and waterways," Maiden said, describing constituents who now see creeks flood where they did not previously and recounting community practices of removing rock and debris to reduce flooding.
SJR 62 requests that the Division of Water provide local governments with guidance on how and when they may clear creeks, including any permits or procedures required. The sponsor framed the resolution as a noncontroversial request for technical assistance and clarified it asks the agency to explain existing authority and best practices.
The committee moved and seconded the resolution and recorded a favorable report; the clerk recorded that SJR 62 passed committee and will proceed to the Senate floor. The transcript did not include language of the resolution beyond the sponsor's summary, and no formal amendments or fiscal impacts were recorded in the committee discussion.
