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Madison County engineers seek H2O grant to convert Galbraith waterway into conservation ditch
Summary
County engineers described a proposal to convert about 1,800 feet of the Galbraith waterway near Dyer Road into a conservation ditch and seek roughly $860,000 in H2O grant funding; the project would require downstream property-owner participation and be placed on county maintenance after completion.
Madison County engineers told the Board of Commissioners on June 2 that they have applied for H2O grant funding to convert the Galbraith waterway near Dyer Road from a tiled waterway into a conservation ditch, reducing the original plan from about 5,000 feet to roughly 1,800 feet and estimating the total cost at "around $860,000." The engineer's office said the application was submitted recently and that project completion is likely about two years away if approved.
Engineer staff said the H2O grant program (administered through the Department of Agriculture for this application) would pay for the improvement, but one program requirement is that the ditch either be on county maintenance now or be placed on county maintenance after completion so the improvement is "protected forever through the maintenance program." Staff also noted that property owners in the downstream area must be in agreement with the ditch maintenance structure for the project to proceed; one downstream property is annexed to a neighboring jurisdiction, so full participation may be difficult.
County officials said the conversion would change a section currently tiled into an open conservation ditch and that the project will proceed through the petition/hearing process when necessary. The engineer's office reported that the conservation district may need a regulatory permit and that the county may need to obtain signatures from affected property owners as part of the petition; a hearing was anticipated in about two weeks to clarify options for one applicant. The office emphasized that project funding will be encumbered first and reimbursed as the project completes.
The county did not record a formal board vote to approve the construction at the June 2 meeting; staff described the request to "sign the agreement to encumber the funds for the project" as a next step in the administrative process, and commissioners were invited to ask questions and review the forms required for commissioner signatures.
If approved, the project would be placed on county maintenance, and staff said the H2O-funded improvement would be preserved under that maintenance program. Commissioners were advised that timing, final scope and participation depend on property-owner agreements and grant approval.
