By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
A creek maintenance project that cuts across Wood County will affect the owners of more than 29,000 acres here that drain into the waterway.
Wood County is working with Sandusky and Ottawa counties to clear blockages in the Toussaint Creek, which starts on the north side of Bowling Green, and winds its way north of Luckey on its way to Lake Erie.
The total cost for the maintenance, which was petitioned by Wood County landowners, is about $860,000.
The cost will be divided among landowners of acreage in the Toussaint Creek watershed area. More than 3,800 notices have been mailed out to the landowners who will be assessed, said Wood County Administrator Andrew Kalmar.
The cost and acreage in each county is estimated as follows:
- 29,204 acres in Wood County, costing $608,000
- 7,763 acres in Sandusky County, costing $123,000
- 12,982 acres in Ottawa County, costing $131,000
Some people receiving the assessment notices may not even realize they are in the watershed, since the creek may not be visible from their property, Kalmar said. But that doesn’t mean it’s not draining into the waterway, he added. So far, 199 objections to the project or the assessments have been filed.
The petition for the work, which is being handled by the soil and water districts of the three counties, asks for the removal of log jams and leaning trees along the creek. There will be no channelizing, or moving of dirt, Kalmar explained.
A public meeting will be held on the project, but has not yet been scheduled.
“Everyone will have the opportunity to speak their piece,” Kalmar said.
The creek cleanup won’t start until fall, after this year’s crops have been harvested.
