Petition for drain improvements

Dear Editor,

The North Branch of Mill Creek Intercounty Drainage Board has received a petition for major improvements to that drain, which would be paid for by drain assessments to the landowners and townships in the drainage district in Lapeer and St. Clair Counties. Lynn Township is the only township in St. Clair County that would be assessed. The others assessed would be in Lapeer County.

The Drainage Board will meet at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at Goodland Township Hall to discuss the petition, which was filed by Goodland Township at the request of local farmers.

A study by Spicer Engineering of Saginaw has determined that the main problem on the North Branch is five farm crossing culverts that were installed in the past, which are too small and hold back the flow of floodwaters. The engineers said these crossings would cost about $500,000 each to replace with properly-sized concrete box culverts because it is a very large channel.

Two public hearings will be required before a project can move forward. The first would be a Hearing of Practicability, to decide if the project is practical. An engineering firm would then be hired to design the project. Then a Hearing of Necessity would be held to decide if the project designed by the engineers is necessary.

For more information about either of these projects, you can contact the St. Clair County Drain Commissioner’s office at (810) 364-5369 or the Lapeer County Drain Commissioner’s office at (810) 667-0371.

— Fred Fuller
Yale