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Texas Township talks pump plans at annual Crooked Lake meeting

Posted at 10:39 PM, May 09, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-09 22:48:09-04

TEXAS TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Devastating flooding remains the topic of conversation in Kalamazoo County’s Texas Township as residents of the Crooked Lake Texas Association met for their annual meeting.

Just to clarify, this is different from the Crooked Lake in Barry County, which we've also discussed at length when it comes to flood.

The plan to pump Crooked Lake is moving forward but pumping will likely not happen until the first of next month.

When association members had their meeting last year, the lake was 25 inches higher than the high water level,  now the water is 36 inches higher than that mark.

With the state permit in hand the township’s flood task force will have a meeting in two weeks when they will finalize the schedule for when pumping will begin.

It's looking like that date will be closer to June 1.

People around Crooked Lake say the pumping can’t happen soon enough, at this point many now dread the sound of rain.

"Every time we hear the rain, we’re wondering how much further up it goes, we can actually see it creeping every time, its not going down its only going up," Crooked Lake Resident Michael Wathen, said.

"It has not yet gone into our home but we have bought flood insurance from FEMA, because if it rains anymore it won’t take much more before its in our home," Wathen, added.

Pumping will first begin on Crooked Lake then on Eagle Lake. If all goes to plan, it will take about 15 months for the process.

The township is continuing to work with the county for a long-term solution to the ongoing problem.