County Commissioners OK Bids for Tippecanoe Cleanup
Posted
Jordan Fouts-
Kosciusko County Commissioners voted Tuesday to allow Emergency Management Director Ed Rock to start the bidding process for Tippecanoe River cleanup work. Rock said he must seek bids to get an idea of what the project would cost in order to apply for grant funding. Rock presented on the project, along with Nate Bosch, director of Kosciusko Lakes and Streams, and Jon Tyler, representing Tippecanoe River Property Owners, during the commissioners meeting Tuesday. Tyler said for the past year they have been seeking solutions to increased flooding – 10 of 17 townships have been affected by high water levels in recent years – and decided cleaning the river to increase the rate of flow would be the best bet. Bosch said they plan to clear log jams in the middle of the river, while leaving untouched trees rooted along the riverbank needed for water filtration. Project organizers learned after talks with the Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Department of Environmental Management that they don’t need separate permitting if they only use hand tools to clear logs, he said. They also will monitor the river level during the course of cleanup to ensure it doesn’t flood elsewhere. “The responsible approach is to not just move the flooded area,” Tyler said. “Moving it to the southwest corner (of the county) doesn’t solve the problem, it just moves the problem.” Also during the meeting, commissioners approved appointments to boards and other positions for next year. Appointments include Ed Rock, homeland security; Ron Truex, Kosciusko Economic Development Corporation; Brad Jackson, OrthoWorx; and Dan Richards, area plan director.
