(La Porte County, IN) - A middle ground has been reached between residents of a La Porte area subdivision tired of flooding and landowners downstream.

 

The La Porte County Commissioners on Wednesday gave the green light on construction of a gravity drain for Meadowview Estates between La Porte and Kingsbury.  The gravity drain will attempt to lower the water table in the subdivision by taking groundwater from the development to Kingsbury Creek.

 

However, the commissioners ordered the $1.3 million project once halfway completed to pause to make sure too much ground water is not being carried by the pipe before it's extended all the way to the creek.  That seemed to satisfy farmers and other land owners near the spring fed creek worried the influx of water will overtake the stream and spill onto their properties.

 

La Porte County Surveyor Tony Hendricks assured downstream property owners the system is designed to release ground water at a slow enough rate to keep the creek from flooding.

 

He also said the drain pipe can be plugged if he and other experts miscalculated the amount of water being sent into the creek.  “If it all is wrong and everyone is completely wrong it can be stopped,” Hendricks said.

 

Hendricks said the objective is lowering the water table in the subdivision to seven feet.  He said the water table should stay at seven feet because groundwater as it begins to rise will pour into the drain.

 

The project has been years in the making for residents having to operate sump pumps continuously to keep the water table from seeping through their basement floors.