Surveyor: Wolf No. 370 tile shows reverse grades; estimated reconstruction $147,400

At the Wolf Number 370 public hearing on July 15, Noble County surveyor Randolph A. Sexton presented a technical report recommending full reconstruction of the regulated tile drain in the Wolf 370 watershed.

Sexton told the board the watershed covers 147.03 acres, that the tile is roughly 2,940 feet long, and that the current maintenance assessment yields about $3,697.38 per year with a watershed balance of $24,125.00. "The entire Wolf Number 370 tile drain needs to be replaced in order to provide positive drainage for the affected lands," Sexton said, citing reverse grades across the system including a significant hump under Indiana State Highway 8. Sexton read his cost estimate: $147,400 total, with $59,844.68 allocated to installation within the State Road 8 right-of-way.

Sexton also noted the drainage board previously authorized use of $20,000 from the Wolf No. 370 maintenance fund as seed money; he described the county's broader General Drain Improvement (GDI) fund balance of $377,212.27 as the source used to advance projects when local watershed funds are insufficient.

The surveyor said the current tile has locations of reverse grade and insufficient cover and that replacement would install continuous positive grade from the top end of the watershed to the outlet. He warned that fuel and stone costs can affect final prices and that the assessment to each landowner would be proportional — and could be paid in full or amortized over five years with interest consistent with county rules.

Board members and landowners asked detailed questions about profiles, the proposed tile sizes (18", 15", 12"), and how laterals would be connected; Sexton said functioning laterals would be tied directly into the new tile and heavily silted laterals would be French-drained into stone to avoid introducing silt to the new installation.