DELTON, Mich. — Let the drains begin. Road crews in Barry County began construction Tuesday morning that officials said will ultimately bring relief to residents battling floods on Crooked Lake.
“Finally we’re moving,” said Barry County Drain Commissioner Jim Dull during an interview near the construction site. “We’ve had two pre-starts before that. Didn’t get us anywhere. The third one's a charm.”
Dull said he’s been working with DEQ for months trying to find a solution to all the flooding on Upper Crooked Lake. He witnessed the floods for himself and knew something had to be done quickly. People’s homes and yards were flooded even when it rained.
“They’re just trying to be understanding,” said Dull about the residents. “How can you have your house threatened with water for six months and not lose it.”
Some residents were forced from their homes, he said. A wet winter and heavy rains in the spring forced the lake to rise to record levels. However county officials never stopped looking for a solution.
“The DEQ is really good,” Dull said. “They got us a a permit last Friday. MDOT was right on time, got us our permit yesterday.”
With the paperwork, crews got right to work, he said. Tuesday morning they began building a makeshift dam along M-43 that’ll keep Glasby Lake, a wetland, and Crooked Lake separate because Thursday is when the pumping, and transferring of water, begins.
“We will pump out of Crooked Lake into [Glasby] and make it a detention pond without having to spend millions of dollars to do it,” he said.
As happy as officials were that construction has started, Dull said the work is far from over. They’re continuing to look for longterm solutions.
“We’re not done looking for other places to put water,” he said. “Don’t give up on us.”
