The lakes in La Porte could be at record flooding again if not for the city’s gravity drain.  The gravity drain was put in when the lakes were extremely high in the 90s. 

Wastewater superintendent Jerry Jackson says the drain wasn’t needed until about four years ago It’s been very rainy ever since resulting in more than a billion gallons of water to be drained

from the lakes. The drain sends lake water into the storm sewer system then Travis Ditch which flows into the Kankakee River.