Drain project determined practicable

Will require a second hearing later this year

 

IMLAY CITY — It was a full meeting room last week at the Imlay City Eagles Hall when more than 75 people listened and commented on a proposed drain project by the Intercounty Drain Board.

The board consists of members from three counties; Lapeer, St. Clair and Sanilac. They were joined by a MDARD representative who presided over the meeting.

The purpose of the hearing was to determine if the project on the north channel of the Mill Creek Drain was practicable and if a petition requesting the work was sufficiently filed.

Spicer Group’s Luke O’Brien gave a power point presentation highlighting information about the proposed work.

Flooding in the area, northeast of Imlay City, has been on-going for years, including a number of major rain events that resulted in crop damage due to the extreme flooding.

For years, a number of experts have looked at and considered options, with little relief.

The proposed project, which still has several hurdles to clear before work can begin, generally calls for the possibility of five concrete water shed structures being built over a two and a half mile stretch to retain flood water and later be released in a controlled manner.

Although not discussed at last week’s meeting, in previous meetings the cost of the work was estimated to be around $2.5 million, knowing costs continue to escalate almost daily.

While dollar amounts were not discussed, the method of how it may be paid for was on the minds of those in attendance.

If the project was to move forward, property owners within the special assessment district would have a portion of the costs added to their taxes.

The three-member intercounty board would determine how the costs would be divided.

Approximately 45,000 acres of land falls within the project with Lapeer County having the most at 34,500 acres. Another 14,000 would be in Sanilac County with an additional 9,200 acres in St. Clair County.

The drain was established in 1895 and has had various maintenance projects done over the years.

In July and August of 2023, the area was hammered with 16 inches of rain, locally 22 inches in some places, resulting in thousands of dollars in loss of crops.

Another catastrophic storm event was in 2024, labeled a “10-year storm” that left fields flooded for miles.

St. Clair County Drain Commissioner Bob Wiley said the project has been discussed for a long time, “and while I don’t want to see Yale flood, I would like to see it (project) move forward.”

With Wiley making a motion and Lapeer Drain Commissioner Andy Wagner supporting, the board decided the petition filing was sufficient.

A number of audience members addressed the board, voicing their concerns and questions about the proposed project.

Although they are not directly in the drainage area, residents in the City of Yale have an eye on the process, knowing the water will eventually end up passing through the city.

Lorrelei Natke, Yale City Manager, said, “I am not in opposition of the project. I am just looking for some assurance from this board the project doesn’t exacerbate the flooding situation in the city park. I need to be able to assure our residents this will not make things worse in the park.”

Following other public comment, the board once again voted, this time whether or not the project was “practicable” to proceed.

Wiley and Wagner once again made and supported a motion that passed 3-0 and cleared the way for a second hearing on the “necessity” of the work.

Wagner then made a motion to have proposals given to the board from engineering firms Spicer Group and BMJ to give information on the project regarding a potential timeline, costs, qualifications and who would be on the project team.

Those documents are due within 30 days of last week’s meeting.

According to O’Brien, the drain basically runs upstream from Lynn Twp. in St. Clair County to an area near Attica, along S. Bowers Rd. in Lapeer County. A portion of the drain flows into a section of Sanilac County.