June 2014
Park Township
Drainage/Flood Mitigation Time Line
1974: First recorded Board comments on flooding problems in northwest portion of
township; engineering study completed (but no action taken)
Late 1970s: additional engineering study completed and more board comments and
discussion on flooding (no action taken)
1991: More engineering work conducted, more board discussion on flooding (no action
taken)
2008: Heavy rains during summer and fall, snow melt during December raise ground water
with numerous reports of home flooding
Late winter 2009: Board responds to citizens’ call for action by creating Energy and
Environmental Committee (Drainage Subcommittee) to examine causes and possible
solutions
Late winter 2009: Township compiles a listing of resident reports of flooding; more than
320 reports are received
March 2009: Board hires Driesenga and Associates to conduct preliminary study
March 2009: Board/Drain Commissioner receives petition from residents asking for
drainage district to be established in Quincy/Tallgrass/Estate Drive/Greenly area
March 2009: Township authorizes pumping at Estate and Quincy to relieve flooding in that
particular area
May 2009: first recommendations made for board action
May 14, 2009: Board authorizes a series of recommendations from Committee report,
including “to petition the Ottawa County Drain Commissioner to establish a northwest relief
drain.”
May 22, 2009: Board approves a petition “for cleaning out, relocating, widening,
deepening, tiling, extending, extending along a highway and/or adding a brand of the drain
known and designated as the No. 37 Drain, located and established in the Township of Park
in the County of Ottawa.”
June 2009: Massive storm event causes widespread flooding, exacerbating problems in
target areas
August 2009: Board approves final report from Drainage Sub-Committee (see summary
below; entire report at http://parktownship.org/wp-content/uploads/Final-Report.pdf)
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June 2014
SUMMARY (From Committee Report, August 2009)
This report has been prepared by the Drainage Sub-Committee of the Park Township Environment
and Energy Committee. After extensive study the Committee recommends a variety of work
activities that are summarized as follows:
1. Establish and Construct the Park West Drain: This new county drain will transport water from
the northern portion of the Township, generally down 168th Avenue to a discharge location at
Lake Macatawa. This project should be referred to the Ottawa County Drain Commissioner
as soon as possible for implementation. The rationale for this drain includes:
a. This provides the best long term relief of surface water;
b. This system is all gravity and no pumps are required;
c. This system will be an underground system of pipes, minimizing surface maintenance;
d. This system will serve the most adversely affected areas of the Township, including
Northland Estates area, the Estate Drive/Quincy/ Riley/Greenly area and the
168th/James/Lakewood/Perry area;
e. The system is “ready to go” by means of existing petitions filed with the Ottawa County
Drain Commissioner; and
f. This system will have the least adverse impact upon the Township’s blueberry farmers.
2. Study the Waukazoo Area Drainage Systems: Park Township, in cooperation with the
Ottawa County Drain Commissioner and the Ottawa County Road Commission, should begin
an immediate study for a potential redesign of the existing system of area drains. This study
should include:
a. a catalogue of existing systems;
b. analysis of the effectiveness of those systems in reducing or preventing flooding;
c. recommendations as to needed improvements and upgrades of those systems; and
d. recommendations for new drain systems, if the study identifies the need.
3. Initiate Storm Water System Mapping:
a. Investigate and inventory of those systems currently included within the files of the
Ottawa County Drain Commission, the Ottawa County Road Commission, Township
subdivision files, and other known sources of information.
b. Visually inspect all existing systems.
c. Produce an up-to-date inventory of all storm drain systems within the township, to be
displayed in digital map form, complete with GIS reference points.
4. Conduct a Storm Water Ordinance Evaluation: The Township should conduct a thorough
review of township ordinances for authority to:
a. govern the design and construction of private storm water systems;
b. enforce the maintenance and operation of these systems, including the ability to make
necessary repairs and/or improvements and to charge back the costs incurred.
5. Annual Program for Ditch/Drain Maintenance: The Township, with the Ottawa County Road
Commission and the Ottawa County Drain Commissioner, should initiate an annual program
for the regular inspection and maintenance of all road ditches and culverts. This program
should be on a three to five year rotating basis.
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June 2014
Flood Mitigation Update
Park Township
Spring 2014
For more than 35 years, residents in areas throughout Park Township and surrounding
communities have periodically suffered basement and surface area flooding caused by high
groundwater.
Over the years some areas have been repeatedly affected. With the unusually high levels of
total precipitation in 2008, the flooding extended to other areas in which the problems were
relatively new. Precipitation in 2008 was just less than 50 inches, well over the 37 inches
considered normal for our area. In addition, it was one of the snowiest years on record, with
Lakeshore communities seeing totals of up to 180 inches. The heavy snow, combined with rapid
melting cycles, also continued into January and February of 2009.
As a result, water table levels at monitoring stations were shown to have risen by four feet
between late 2007 and June 2008. By March 2009, the water table had risen yet another two
feet above the June 2008 levels. The groundwater levels rose to new record elevations as a
result.
In early 2009, responding to dozens of flooding concerns from residents, the Park Township
Board commissioned the Energy and Environment Committee, a subcommittee charged to
explore the water problems and to provide recommendations and guidance to the Board for
possible action. The committee, comprised of a cross section of citizens and professionals,
began a process to secure professional expertise to analyze the causes of the high water and
provide solutions. In March, 2009 after proposals were received from various firms, the
committee recommended the hiring Holland-based Driesenga and Associates to perform an
engineering assessment of the causes of the groundwater problems at several of the most
severely affected areas, and to provide preliminary recommendations on how to correct them.
It is important to note that this is not the first time the problem has been studied. Similar high
groundwater problems prompted earlier studies that were conducted by independent
engineering firms in 1974, later in the 1970s and in 1991. The Driesenga study added to the
body of knowledge that had already been accumulated on this issue. So while some residents
experienced flooding problems for the first time, for many it was a continuation of a chronic
problem.
The study concentrated on several areas around the township that experienced the most severe
problems. These areas were selected based upon a review of reports to the Township by
residents experiencing chronic problems due to high water. As of mid-summer 2009, after
another huge rain event with more than 7 inches of rain, the Township had received high water
reports from more than 320 residents. Anecdotal evidence, however, suggested that number to
be very low and estimated properties affected approached 1,000.
In August of 2009 the committee issued its final report. The report included five main
recommendations:
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June 2014
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Establish and Construct the Park West Drain
Study the Waukazoo Area Drainage Systems
Initiate a Storm Water System Mapping
Conduct a Storm Water Ordinance Evaluation
Initiate an Annual Program for Drain/Ditch Maintenance
Since that time there has been much progress on each of these recommendations. Here is a
status report on each:
Establish and Construct the Park West Drain
The Township Board, at the request of many residents who suffered severe damages from high
water, petitioned the Ottawa County Drain Commissioner (OCDC) to consider a drainage
project in the western most section of the township to provide relief. The Drain Commissioner
already had resident-sponsored petitions on file at that time and consolidated those requests
into a comprehensive strategy that resulted in the Park West Drain. That project was referred
to the OCDC back in 2009 and is now in the final permitting process with the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).
It should be stressed again that first and foremost, this project is NOT a Park Township
undertaking and has been under the jurisdiction of the Ottawa County Drain
Commissioner since May of 2009. Legal counsel for both Park Township and Ottawa
County confirm that the township board has NO authority regarding the project. That
includes the ability to halt it. Under the State Drain Code, the law governing drains, once
a Board of Determination has ruled a drain is a necessity, the Drain Commissioner is
obligated to pursue implementation of a drain project. In the case of the Park West Drain,
the Board of Determination ruled the drain a necessity back in November of 2010.
Study the Waukazoo Area Drainage Systems
As for the Waukazoo drainage areas, the township in 2010 did complete the Post Avenue
storm drain project which provided relief to the area from run-off from the fair grounds and from
Post Avenue itself. That drain section was turned over to the OCDC and is now an official
county drain. The Township recently approved having the OCDC establish a Marigold Drain
system that will place several orphan drains under OCDC jurisdiction. The Board's goal is to
eliminate all orphan drain systems in the township.
Initiate a Storm Water System Mapping
During 2010 and 2011 the township also completed a storm water mapping project.
Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr and Huber (FTCH) was hired to complete a massive study of all the
drainage systems within the township. It would be an understatement to say they identified a
multitude of drain systems that had not previously been recorded. The project allowed the
township to locate, map and determine jurisdiction of all the “pipes and ponds.” The results were
added to the Ottawa County digital Geographic Information System (GIS). This project has
served as a model for other governmental jurisdictions for mapping drain systems. The study
revealed that many of the systems had no “ownership” and therefore received little or no
maintenance over the years. The jurisdictional analyses have been instrumental in identifying
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June 2014
these orphan drains and providing the basis for moving these to OCDC or Ottawa County Road
Commission (OCRC) jurisdiction.
As of this time the following orphan drains have been moved to the jurisdiction of the
Ottawa County Drain Commissioner (Water Resources Commissioner):
Baywoodlands
Hazelbank Shores
Crosswinds
Forest Hills
Kraai
Hoerner’s Woods
Winter Sun
Marigold Woods
Orphan drains that have been recommended to move to the jurisdiction of the Drain
Commissioner and having already been recommended by of Boards of Determination include:
Lakeview
Idlewood
In early 2012 the township approved an updated storm water ordinance, also a direct result
of the FTCH study, which strengthens the requirements for storm water management in new
developments and provides integration of local efforts with OCDC and state rules. A
development checklist, draft maintenance agreements and enforcement provisions are included
in the new amendments.
Initiate an Annual Program for Drain/Ditch Maintenance
Park Township continues to work with both the OCDC and the OCRC on drain and ditch
improvements. Reducing the number of orphan drains is a big part of that process (without
jurisdiction neither agency is willing to commit resources other than on a limited emergency
basis). The township has encouraged the OCDC to upgrade existing drains, and Park
Township has spent considerable sums on a variety of drain upgrades. During the fall of 2012,
the township hired a drainage system analyst to physically inspect the drains and
roadside ditches within the township, documenting the status of each segment and filing
reports with the OCDC or OCRC as appropriate to insure these structures are maintained to
their designed capacity. In addition the new Grove Street Drain is now completed and the
township has funded improvements to:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
The Virginia Park Drain
The Ottogan Drain
The Kelly Lake Drain
The Harlem Drain
The Bazon Drain
Drains Nos. 12, 20, 21, 31, 34, 37 and 53
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June 2014
Summary
The Park Township Board has a legal responsibility to protect the health, safety and
welfare of our residents. Additionally, the Board has made drain issues a priority in order to
protect property values and to ensure proper drainage for future development.
The Township has been very active in implementing the recommendations of the Drainage
Subcommittee. The goal of these activities has been to provide a degree of relief for our
residents who have suffered with water problems over the years. An open discussion of the
facts, the input of our residents, expert resources and a willingness to work cooperatively has
brought about the best solutions in the shortest time possible.
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