CENTERBURG — For years, Ron and Lou Ann Ricker have dealt with extreme flooding on their property when the spring rains hit. Requests for help seemingly went unheard.
Now they are concerned that a proposed subdivision will make things worse.
“We’ve had problems with flooding in our back yard a good 10 years,” Lou Ann Ricker said. “We paid someone $1,300 to dig out another ditch so when this (drainage ditch) would overflow, it had time to flow out. We paid again to dig it out deeper and wider.
“We had a bridge, and it’s floated away so many times. I have planted, landscaped, it’s flooded, and I’ve replanted. I have lost a lot of money, I’ve lost an antique wagon. I keep talking to people, and it’s like ‘so what?’ I just want it resolved.”
Storm water flows from a farm field north of Ricker’s property, along the edge of her property, and into a 24-inch pipe under the Heart of Ohio Trail bike path. From there it goes through a ditch across property owned by the Village of Centerburg and into an 8- or 10-inch corrugated steel pipe extension on the Emlich property.
It continues into a 12-inch plastic pipe heading toward property owned by 2 Olives and Centerburg RE LLC, and then connects to 12-inch storm drains that route the water around the west side of the nursing center.
Fill over the 12-inch pipe and silt accumulation in the ditch cause backflow and sediment accumulation in the 24-inch pipe under the bike path. With the 24-inch pipe restricted, the water backs up onto Ricker’s property.
In a 2018 letter to the village, Rob Clendening, administrator of the Knox Soil and Water Conservation District, outlined three remedies:
— Cleaning and shaping the ditch across village property to alleviate backup in the 24-inch pipe
— Removing the 8- or 10-inch steel pipe extension and replacing it with a 12-inch pipe to at least restore flow to the capacity of the 12-inch pipe running across the Emlich and 2 Olives properties
— Replacing the entire pipeline through the Emlich, 2 Olives, and Centerburg RE LLC properties with a 24-inch pipe to match capacity of the pipe under the bike path
Clendening noted in his letter that remedy No. 3 could be completed by petitioning the county commissioners to do the drainage improvement. All property owners in the watershed would be assessed a fee to cover the cost of the improvement and future maintenance.
Centerburg Village Administrator Joe Hardin said via email that the undersized pipe was removed in 2018 and a new one installed equivalent to the downstream pipe. A blockage on the 2 Olives property was removed and the piping repaired.
In April 2019, the village cleared and reshaped the drainage ditch. The village installed a headwall on the southern end of village property in 2020.
“The village personnel inspects this storm pipe and headwall regularly to be sure it is clear of debris and operable,” Hardin wrote. “This area is also regularly inspected during heavy rain events.
“I believe the improvements made by the village have made a positive impact conveying storm water from the north of the (village’s) property. The village may have to look toward a stormwater improvement project in the future if the flooding persists.”
According to Lou Ann Ricker, the flooding persists. And she’s worried that if the Mount Olive Farms subdivision goes forward, the flooding will get worse.
Mount Olive Farms
Mount Olive Farms is located on the southeast corner of Ohio 314 (Johnsville Road) and Updike Road. Owners Todd and Sondra Swetland want to develop 85.4 acres into 12 parcels ranging from 5.6 acres to 12.32 acres.
The Regional Planning Commission approved the subdivision plat providing the Swetlands petition Knox County to maintain the stormwater infrastructure. They have not yet done so.
A 12-inch pipe installed north to south along the rear lot lines of the parcels fronting on Ohio 314 will handle the stormwater runoff for the subdivision. Runoff will flow onto Ricker’s property and into the 24-inch pipe under the bike path.
“I am really concerned because most subdivisions have a pond (for stormwater),” Ricker said. “Everybody keeps telling me everything will be alright. Well, it’s not going to.”
According to Clendening of Knox Soil and Water, the amount of stormwater runoff determines whether a pond is needed. In this case, the calculations remain neutral.
While there will be more impervious roofs and driveways from the subdivision, Clendening said there will also be larger tracts of grass compared to the tilled cropland that’s present now.
“If the stormwater calculations don’t require a retention pond, we can’t require a developer to put one in,” he said.
What’s Next?
Ricker voiced her concerns at the June meetings of Centerburg Village Council and Regional Planning Commission. She also met with Clendening and the county commissioners. At each meeting she reiterated the flooding problems and what she’s done to try and fix them.
“The ditch on your side isn’t really the root of the problem,” Clendening told her. “The money you spent gives it a better flow, but it does not mitigate the problem.”
Clendening inspected the pipes and drainage ditch the week of June 7. The 24-inch pipe under the bike path was half plugged on the downstream side. He said that ideally during the weather conditions when he made the inspection, there would be no or minimal water backing up into the pipe.
The pipe going toward 2 Olives and the nursing center also had backup. Clendening said that although he did not measure the pipe, it did not appear to be 12 inches. He believes the backup is because the pipe is of insufficient size to carry the flow.
“The flow away from your property is restricted because flow at the end of the 24-inch pipe is restricted. Obviously the ditchway needs to be improved so it provides drainage,” Clendening told Ricker. “Even if the subdivision has a retention pond, it won’t solve your problem.”
The commissioners said they will clean out the 24-inch pipe as the bike path Knox County property.
“Cleaning the culvert and bike path will help temporarily, but it won’t solve the problem until the downstream problem is taken care of,” said Commissioner Teresa Bemiller. “The village will have to decide to do something.”
One alternative Ricker has is to petition the county to improve and maintain the drainage ditch. Under this process, involved landowners would be notified of the request, a cost determined, and public hearings held.
If the petition goes forward, the county pays for the improvements upfront and assesses the cost to all landowners in the watershed.
“It’s not a free program, but from then on the county maintains it,” Commissioner Thom Collier said.
“If the village is not willing or able to take care of its portion, my suggestion is to petition,” Clendening told Ricker. “At the very least it would create a public forum to address the situation.”
