Clear Cutting by Drainage District

In a recent clash between county homeowners and an obscure local government body, a large section of trees were clear cut unexpectedly on the property easements. From the News-Gazette today:

Drainage district's clearing work on Salt Fork leaves some residents floored
...
Property owners learned the work had been ordered by the Upper Salt Fork Drainage District, a local body governed by three elected commissioners.

Drainage districts are authorized by state law to levy an assessment on all landowners within them to cover costs of maintaining and improving drainage, which in the Upper Salt Fork includes about 21 miles of waterway, stretching from Rantoul to about 3 miles south of St. Joseph, where it empties into the Salt Fork. It passes by Heather Hills.

Drainage districts also have a right of way, allowing them access to properties to maintain drainage. The Wardrops said they and their neighbors aren't certain how far from the bank that right of way extends.

Regardless, they are upset that no one bothered to contact them before the clearing was done. But they say they're not sure whether the district is required by law to notify landowners if work is deemed "maintenance..."

As to whether the clearing would alleviate that problem, Weckel said, "It can't hurt."

But he said there are too many miles of limited flow to the south of those properties. The ditch flattens out along that section, he added, stalling the water flow north of St. Joseph. South of town, it picks up where the ground falls at a steeper rate, according to Weckel.

"But it is relatively flat through there, and that's the problem," he said. "There's just not enough fall to keep the water moving."

More at the full article here. The Prairie Rivers Network had a long and detailed post on the subject. Here's a short excerpt:

After discovering workers clearing their land and what appeared to be a rudimentary road on their property, a few homeowners reached out to Upper Salt Fork Drainage District commissioners requesting an explanation of why work was being done without notice. It was explained that the work was routine maintenance to remove trees that had fallen into the waterway. Further calls from landowners to the drainage district were reportedly ignored or answered with hostility.

PRN called various government agencies and was told that the trees were causing flooding and the work was reportedly done to reduce flooding in the neighborhood.

These stories don’t necessarily line up. Was the goal to remove trees that had fallen in the river, or was clear cutting the riverbank itself the goal? Given the conflicting explanations and no work plan, we are left to wonder why the Drainage District thought this was a good idea.

If the work truly was for maintenance removal of fallen logs from the river, the Upper Salt Fork Drainage District went about it in an aggressive, devastating, and seemingly unnecessary way. The district downed many live trees, displaced wildlife, and destroyed a good portion of what little natural habitat remains on that section of the Salt Fork. If the purpose was to access fallen trees in the river, the other side of the river provides easier access from grassed farmland with just a few trees.

More at the full post here.