Creek cleaning

[Dan-IA]

Round about a week ago <a href="http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=ttalk&th=643790">I posted a thread</a> about cleaning up a creek, taking off trees and removing dams, etc.

Well, it happened. Letter in the mail says the county had an engineer out to survey it and we get to have a hearing on what to do about it next month.

Anybody had a creek cleaned lately? What's this gonna set me back when they get to it?

 

[Anonymous-0]

I never knew that they cleaned creeks. What did nature do before the county officals came along.
Once they came by and cleaned the ditch by the road and the wife told them she wanted the dredgings to make a rock garden so they dumped it in a pile on the front lawn. There were turtles climbing out of the pile by the time I got home.

 

[Steve in IN]

They did that for a ditch about 600 yards from our property. The trees and overgrowth were apparently causing a woman's yard and house to flood during heavy rains. So the county came in and totally wiped out all the vegetation along the ditch and put rubble in and near it to keep the banks intact.

Her yard and house still floods during heavy rains, but on occasion, once every 3 or 4 years, we pay a drainage tax that amounts to less than $20 a quarter.

Maybe you will be so lucky as to get the limo ride back to your house when the county gets done with the ditch. Funny way to spend my tax money.

 

[Stan - Florida]

"What did nature do before the county officials came along"

Nature and farmers pretty much took care of the weeds and brush along the creeks. There was a creek that ran through a corner of a neighbor's place...it was clear on both sides from as early as I can remember (early '40s)until the '60s (or so). The creek was dredged and the dirt was piled up on the creek bank. Just a few years later there was a thick growth of brush and trees on both sides. Sure ruined a good place for my dog and me to play!!! On the other hand, I guess I was too old to be playing in the creek, and, besides that, my old dog was long gone.

Stan
Melbourne, FL (formerly Fishers, IN)

 

[GordoSD]

There are tons of regulations regarding waterways, lakes, rivers and wetlands in the USDA archives. I have a designated wetland and a 1/2 mile creekbed on my property. I can't turn over a stone there without a federal inspection and permit. There was some wild marijuana growing in there and I wanted it out. Took a year and a half and a dozen forms. Hell I should have just called the Sheriff and we would have had it burned off in 10 minutes.

Gordo

 

[Stephen L Atkins]

I did most of my own creek cleaning. Cutting out the dead fall and using it for firewood. I would have liked to have had it straightened. Would have made it easier to farm.

steveormary

 

[Anonymous-0]

My Dad & Uncle drained swampy areas on my grandfather"s farm in the 1940"s/1950"s with ditching dynamite. "course, back then you could by dynamite in the general stores in the area (North Central Maryland) where my grandfathers farm was.

My Uncle told me that one person would go along with a stick to punch the hole and put the stick of dynamite in. The next person would put the wires to connect all of the sticks together so when set off they would go off to create the ditch.

My dad had a section cleaned about 1975 by an excavating company with a track hoe. Not sure if they were any permits needed, but the excavator was well known in our area, not a fly by night outfit.

Guess a lot of it depends on where you are as to how many people will see what you are doing, or will be able see what is being done. Saw a small section done last summer, done on a weekend by a track hoe with no lettering/signs on it.


Good Luck
Edward

 

[Kevin Meier]

There is a large creek through Humboldt County Iowa that has been cleaned out. Silt removed and some trees. I will ask some of the people if they were billed for it or if it came out of some tax money somehow.

 

[Mark - IN.]

Ohh noo. If you got a letter, your hands are tied. Much good luck. Keep us posted with the outcome of that one. I sincerely hope all goes well. I only hope they don't tell you nothing doing, aint touching, it stays and grows like it is. Seriously, keep us posted on the outcome.

Mark

 

[Leland]

we have drainage districts here that handle all of that take the work out of finding someone to clean up the mess taxes are cheap as well .