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County surveyor raises Flat Rock River watershed commission plan; commissioners ask DNR to present details
Summary
Decatur County's surveyor described a multi-county plan to treat the Flat Rock River as a regulated drain, with maintenance costs apportioned to landowners by acreage; commissioners voiced concern about cost allocation and requested a DNR presentation and inter-county feedback.
Andy Scholley, the county surveyor, told commissioners that several neighboring counties are proposing a Flat Rock River Watershed Development Commission modeled on regulated-drain statutes used elsewhere. Scholley said the model would create a separate fund, prorate cleanup costs to contributing parcels, and rely on statutory right-of-way provisions to permit excavators access for maintenance.
Scholley described an example DNR schedule in which a 2-acre residence might be assessed roughly $7 and larger agricultural parcels could be assessed at a per-acre rate. He said the approach intends to avoid direct county-funded cleanups: "It shouldn't cost the county any money, but it's gonna cost the citizens that live along the Flat Rock to help maintain it," Scholley said.
Commissioners expressed reservations about fairness and enforcement, asking who would bear costs when obstructions from upstream properties cause downstream damage. The board asked Scholley to seek written sample ordinances from DNR and Rush County and to invite DNR staff to present the model and expected costs at a future meeting.
The proposal is at an exploratory stage; commissioners took no regulatory action at the May 18 session and asked staff to report back after inter-county consultations and a DNR briefing.
