Keeping the water back

   / Keeping the water back #11  
Before you begin making structural modifications to a stream, you might want to find out what agency regulates streams in your state or county, and check with them. In Illinois it's the Department of Natural Resources - Office of Water Resources. It may be no big deal, but then again, it might.

I've seen OWR go after individual landowners for fifty yards of inconsequential fill. They sometimes have no sense of humor. Filling the flood plain, even if there are no wetlands involved, is associated with increased flooding downstream.

Besides the issue of filling the flood plain there is the issue of wetlands. This comes under the Corpse of Engineers and maybe your county. They very much have no sense of humor. I've seen mitigation rates for filling of wetlands, of six to one. That means, being required to pay for the construction of six acres of wetland for every acre you wreck. I've never seen a mitigation ratio less than 1.5 : 1. The fines are on top of that.

In addition to the regulatory issues, you will need to do your engineering and look at the local drainage. If you're not careful, you can create a perfect dike and keep the creek water out of your land, but lock the local water on your side of the dike. Then you have water on both sides of the dike.

Figure out where the local water comes from and goes, and force it to go where you want it. This may take a lot of fill. Or it may take a few feet of ditch and berm.
 
   / Keeping the water back #12  
Sometimes it's easier to seek forgiveness than ask permission.

Especially if you can do the work and/or it doesn't cost you too much if your "forgiveness" requires redoing effort.

Best wishes,

Ron
 
   / Keeping the water back
  • Thread Starter
#13  
I'm just fixing what the county messed up! That and there is an old mill race (big deep ditch) that supplied water to an old grist mill that has not operated since the 1930's. The mill had collapsed in a couple of areas and it would take on water during heavy rains and distribute it where ever.
 

Tractor & Equipment Auctions

2008 CATERPILLAR D6T LGP HI TRACK CRAWLER DOZER (A51242)
2008 CATERPILLAR...
2019 Bobcat T770 Two Speed Compact Track Loader Skid Steer (A50322)
2019 Bobcat T770...
2021 HYUN Elantra (A50324)
2021 HYUN Elantra...
2019 TAKEUCHI TB2150 EXCAVATOR (A51242)
2019 TAKEUCHI...
2008 Ford F-250 Ext. Cab Pickup Truck (A50323)
2008 Ford F-250...
(2) METAL SPOOLS W/ SOME DURALINE 4" PVC PIPE (A51244)
(2) METAL SPOOLS...
 
Top