|
1st Hearing on
Ditch Improvement Petition 2107 Storeholder
PRELIMINARY
ENGINEER’S REPORT
Ditch No. 2107,
Branch 1 and 1a Fewless Creek
Petitioned by
Lawrence Storeholder and others
April 30, 2009
PROJECT INITIATION
This drainage improvement was initiated through a single county
drainage petition filed by Mr. Lawrence Storeholder and others
on March 16, 2009. The petition calls for the cleaning and
brush cleaning of portions of two open ditches known as Branches
1 and 1a of Fewless Creek located in Swancreek Township, Fulton
County, Ohio.
The proposed Branch
1 improvement is petitioned to begin approximately 1310 feet
north and 660 feet west of the southeast corner of Section 27,
T‑9-S, R-3-E, at the property line between Storeholder and
Daubenmeyer. From that point, the improvement is to proceed
downstream in a north and northeasterly direction, crossing
County Road 3 about 2,000 feet north of County Road D into
Section 26. From there, the improvement is petitioned to
continue to the north and northeast, following the existing open
channel for a distance of approximately 4,380 feet to Township
Road E, to a point that is about 0.45 miles east of County Road
3. From that point, the petition route crosses Township Road E
and continues east for about 400 feet along the north
right-of-way of Township Road E. From there, the proposed
improvement route leaves the Road E right-of-way and continues
to the north to the proposed lower terminus at Fewless Creek
Main.
The Branch 1a of
Fewless Creek drainage improvement is proposed to begin about
330 feet north and 615 feet west of the east quarter corner of
Section 27, T-7-N, R‑8-E in Swancreek Township at the property
line between Storeholder and Dowling.
The improvement of Branch 1a is proposed to continue
downstream for a distance of 1,050 feet, terminating at Branch 1
of Fewless Creek.
A viewing of the
project was conducted by the Board of County Commissioners on
Monday, April 13, 2009 at the site.
Improvements of
record in this watershed date back to 1884. The channel under
consideration at this time was cleaned through petitions in
1901, 1943 and 1958. The project in 1901 started at Road D and
continued north of Road E to the main. The 1943 improvement
terminated at Road E. The ditch was last improved through a
single county petition in 1958, just before such petitioned
improvement projects in Fulton County were placed on a permanent
maintenance program. At that time the work ended at Road E.
There were twenty-seven (27) involved in the 1958 project.
Today, sixty-eight (68) parcels are in the watershed. Since
1958 the channel has been maintained privately by the adjacent
land owners down to the woods on the Lemmon property.
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The primary
objective of this project is to clean the open ditches and
establish a permanent ditch maintenance program for the
channels.
PROBLEMS
OBSERVED
The
problems observed on the day of the viewing were consistent with
what one might expect see on a ditch in need of maintenance.
Brush growth was obvious along both ditch banks downstream from
Road 3. The 30-inch culvert through Road 3 was under water and
the roadside drainage tiles were at or just below the water
surface at Road 3.
At the
Bradford property, about halfway between Road 3 and Road E, the
commissioners and landowners observed brush and some trees along
both banks. Three drain outlet pipes entering the ditch from
the east were at or near the water surface on the day of the
viewing and there was evidence of recently washed sediment from
a large upstream washout on the channel bottom.
Channel flow was
better at Road E even though there was some sediment in the
culvert. Upstream from Road E the ditch runs through a wooded
area and yard and there were larger trees down on the channel
banks and fallen trees and limbs in the channel through the
woods.
There
was some sediment downstream in the channel along Road E but the
flow was better. The road side had been repaired with rock
channel protection to protect the roadside banks from erosion
and sloughing.
Downstream from Road E there was dense brush except where
adjacent landowners had cleared the banks through lawn areas.
Adjacent landowners pointed out that the water doesn’t run very
deep even during larger storm events and that the channel banks
in the bottom land downstream from Road E are not supportive of
even light lawn equipment but don’t erode much.
During a
subsequent inspection of the channels from their upper termini
to a point on the main branch just downstream from Road E other
defects were discovered. There was some bank sloughing west of
Road 3 and Storeholder’s 24-inch culvert crossing Branch 1 was
about half full. Downstream from Road 3 there is a block in the
channel to pool water for irrigating adjacent fields. There was
a large tile washed out and a large bank washout on the east
side just upstream from the Bradford property. North of the
Bradford property there were larger trees and brush on both
channel banks. There were down trees, drift and debris through
Lemmon’s woods. There was also evidence of spoil piles from
past cleaning projects along both banks through Lemmon’s
woods.
WORK PROPOSED
The work proposed
will be the work petitioned for. Down trees and debris will be
removed from the channels. Brush and trees on channel banks that
interfere with channel flow will be removed and left for
disposal by the land owner.
Sediment will be
excavated from the channel bottom and spoils will be leveled in
adjacent fields. Spoil will be hauled from lawn areas and
spread in upstream fields. Lawns, filter strips and roadsides
will be restored.
Erosion control
measures will be incorporated in the work plan. Banks and berms
will be seeded. Rock channel protection will be placed where
required. Fifteen foot filter strips will be established where
none exist.
Traffic control and
incidental items associated with the cleaning of these open
ditches will also included in the work plan.
A
temporary construction easement will be established along the
line of the improvement.
CONSTRUCTION
ESTIMATE
The
attached preliminary construction estimate is based on
information that was obtained through aerial photos and field
observations. The estimated cost to clean Branch 1 of Fewless
Creek is $39,547.41 and the estimated cost to clean Branch 1a is
$4,985.99. These estimates include engineering and
administrative costs.
The final detailed
construction estimate, based upon a complete engineering survey
will be used to determine the estimated assessments for each
parcel. Assessments will be considered at the final hearing on
this proposed improvement. Upon completion of the project work
plan, actual assessments will be prorated to reflect the final
cost of the work completed.
PROJECT BENEFITS AND
ESTIMATED ASSESSMENTS
Assessments for the proposed improvement will be based on the
benefits received from the drainage improvements. The type and
quantity of drainage runoff contributed by each parcel will be a
consideration. The location of a parcel relative to the
location of the work may also be considered.
It is expected that
the benefits derived from the proposed improvements over their
estimated 20-year useful life will be greater $200,000.000 and
will exceed the estimated project costs. House lots and the
rights-of-way will be assessed at higher rates than agricultural
land. Woods and pasture land will be assessed at a lower rate
than tillable land.
Rural residential
properties will benefit from improved drainage by increasing or
maintaining their property values. According to local real
estate sources, as a general rule, properties suffering from
standing water throughout their entire yards are often judged to
be devalued as much as 20% to 30%. Properties with some
standing water could be devalued as much as 10% to 20%. Areas
that suffer even the stigma of standing water could be devalued
by 5% to 10%. Without good drainage outlets septic systems do
not function property leading. Standing water can also
contribute to mosquito control problems and other health issues.
Estimated
assessments could range from $180.00 to $90.00 per acre for
house lots and from $90.00 to $45.00 per acre for farm land
depending on location. Forest land assessments could range from
$60.00 to $30.00 per acre and public rights-of-way could be
assessed between $250.00 and $125.00 per acre, again depending
upon location.
MAINTENANCE
The Ohio
Revised Code requires that all drainage improvement projects be
placed on a permanent maintenance program. Maintenance activity
is limited to the maintenance of the items originally
constructed. Maintenance is paid for by periodic ditch
maintenance assessments to the parcels in the watershed. The
amount of the maintenance assessment is in proportion to the
original ditch assessment for each parcel.
The revised code
provides for the right of access to drainage lines and open
ditches to perform maintenance activities. The permanent
maintenance access easement for the improvement will be
twenty-five (25) feet in width measured from the top of the
channel banks.
APPARENT FAVORABLE
FACTORS
1.
Crop yields
will be improved.
2.
Property
values will be improved or protected.
3.
Erosion
control measures at the open ditch will reduce erosion and
protect the open channel from deterioration.
4.
The outlet
will be placed on permanent maintenance that will insure that
the drain can be kept clean and free flowing and will protect
the investment in this proposed improvement.
APPARENT UNFAVORABLE
FACTORS
1.
Temporary
lawn and landscaping damage can be expected during construction.
2.
Temporary
crop production will be lost along the proposed construction
easement during the course construction activities.
3.
Periodic
production loss and inconvenience may result from future
maintenance activity.
PROJECT FEASIBILITY
This
project work plan is feasible and can be economically completed
through the drainage improvement petition process.
|
