76 miles of the Auglaize River is set for a major cleanup as part of the Auglaize River Stream Enhancement Project.
The clean up will involve removing log jams and debris from the river throughout Allen, Auglaize and Shelby counties. The Allen County Soil and Water District laid out the project in early March, and on May 8th, the Joint Board of Commissioners reviewed and approved the assessment schedule for the project. The estimated cost of clean up, $950,000.
To help fund the project, landowners are being mailed a one time assessment fee based on the amount of water that is being shed from his or her property and into the Auglaize River. Although the project has been approved, landowners have until June 16th to file a written letter of objection to the commissioners.
Owners of a single house lot can expect to receive the $25 state minimum assessment, while owners of farm land may see assessments as high as a few thousand dollars. It all depends on how much water from the land is flowing into the river.
The goal of the project is to improve the flow of the river to help prevent flooding, or at least shorten the duration of the flooding period following heavy rains.
