DELTON, Mich. -- Residents who have been affected by ongoing flooding on Crooked Lake in Barry County will have to wait a little longer for a permanent fix.
During a meeting on Monday, County Drain Commissioner Jim Dull explained to residents that a plan to pump water into Spring Brook won't work, because of concerns about overloading the small creek.
Officials had wanted to pump about 4,000 gallons a minute from Crooked Lake, which would bring the water level down about a foot in three months. However, they ended up only getting permission for 700-800 gallons per minute, which at that rate would take a year to reduce water in the lake by a foot, time they simply don't have.
Now, officials are waiting to hear from a 40-acre farm north of the lake, which they hope to purchase with money set aside by the county. They'll still need to do some soil testing to see about drainage, but Dull says he's hopeful after a recent visit to the site.
“It rained the day before and earlier that day; we had better than an inch of rain, and there wasn’t a drop of water on the ground,” said Dull.
Officials have a 60-day window to purchase the property, which expires after the second week in January.
Residents on the lake have been dealing with flooding since the spring casued water to rise record levels after a wet winter. Since then, people have experienced flooding in their yards and have even used sandbags on their properties.
Officials say once the ground freezes, they won't be able to do any pumping.
