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Local News

Little Thornapple River Drain, beavers challenge Barry County Drain Commission

Barry County Drain Commissioner Jim Dull gave the County Board of Commissioners the department’s annual report, with a complete accounting of the drain commission budget during the year and a listing of all 2016 projects.

Dull said the Little Thornapple River Drain is an ongoing challenge. He and others are meeting with the DEQ to find solutions to the long-simmering problem of how to reconstruct the area of excessive tree removal of about nine miles along the 14 mile stretch of the Thornapple River, which is also an intercounty drain.

“A recurring issue that seems to be on the  rise is the presence of nuisance beavers in county drains,” he said in the report.
“Six county drains and one county dam received maintenance to remove beaver dams to ensure the county drains and dam would remain functional. Several sites require year round trapping services to control the beaver population.”

 

The report, compiled by deputy Drain Commissioner Tammy Berdecia, showed the project totals for the year were $863,646.17 related to 55 drains. //

Nine drains received herbicide applications, four were  evacuated and sealed, eight had inspection and or maintenance, seven were maintained due to nuisance beavers, 12 had tile inspection or replacements, and five were inspected for quality operation.

The Michigan Dam Safety Unit required inspection of five county dams this year at Wall Lake, Fine Lake, Upper Crystal Lake, Jordan Lake and Podunk Lake.

 

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, commissioners approved the appointments of Robert Carr, Michael Pratt, Ken Vierzen, Steven Koerber, Randall Jonker and John Bueche to the Barry County Remonumentation Review Board and Monumentation Surveyor agreements for 2017 between the county and Reynolds Land Surveying & Mapping P.C., Arrow Land Survey, Pathfinder Engineer Inc, Crane Land Survey, Carr & Associates LLC, Exxel Engineering and Jonker Land Surveys PC.

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