Panel pressed to OK Eagle Creek basin

DEFIANCE — The 15-judge panel which oversees the operations of the Maumee Watershed Conservancy District, Defiance, will be asked to include construction of the $60 million Eagle Creek flood basin in the district's work plan. The court will convene for its yearly meeting on May 7, via teleconference. Public viewing will be made available at the Defiance County Courthouse, 221 Clinton St., Defiance. Limited seating will be available, and masks and social distancing will be required due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Planning for the basin has continued, including a preliminary study of the project by Stantec engineering, despite pushback from the judges during the court's annual meeting in 2020. The meeting was delayed until September due to the pandemic. Clark Lynn Army, general manager of the conservancy district, said the district will ask for the court to amend the plan. In 2020, the court panel questioned the conservancy district's authority in spending $11.35 million in early 2020 for the purchase of 416 acres of property at the proposed basin site in Hancock County's Eagle Township. That's about half the land needed for the proposed basin. Money to pay for the property was taken from a $15 million grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Another $15 million was awarded to the project by the State of Ohio, as part of the capital budget, in December. The conservancy district serves Allen, Auglaize, Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Lucas, Mercer, Paulding, Putnam, Shelby, Van Wert, Williams and Wood counties. Common Pleas Judge Reginald Routson represents Hancock County on the conservancy court. During the September court meeting, Routson pressed the conservancy district's leadership for answers on the court's authority. He said there are concerns about the project and the "massive expenditure" of tax dollars. State funding, over the course of several years, is being sought to pay for the construction. Once constructed, it will cost about $100,000 annually to operate and maintain the basin. Upkeep would include mowing, debris removal, maintenance of the basin's outlet and emergency spillway, and maintenance of public access locations. So far, there has been no recommendation on how operating and maintenance expenses should be addressed in the future, but property tax assessments have been discussed. Any taxes levied to support the basin project would need the approval of the court. In March, Findlay City Council voted unanimously to adopt a resolution of support for area flood mitigation efforts, including the proposed Eagle Creek flood basin, without any discussion. The resolution states it is the community's goal to lower flood water by 3 feet in downtown Findlay during a 100-year flood. According to the resolution, river benching completed in 2020 will lower a 100-year flood by about 0.7 feet. Replacing the Norfolk Southern Railroad bridge, which straddles the Blanchard River near Findlay's downtown, would drop the flood level by another half-foot, as would additional river benching. The basin, according to the resolution, would reduce flooding by an additional 1.5 feet. In the resolution, the council asks the conservancy district and the conservancy district court to amend the watershed's work plan to include the efforts. Grant: 419-427-8412