Nuisance Flooding Study Reveals Few Solutions

Residents came out for a public works committee meeting Monday night to hear the findings of a study conducted by Ruekert-Mielke to determine the cause of recent flooding of their properties.

Ken Ward, manager and engineering supervisor with the firm, told neighbors that they were able to rule out a few factors.

"The issue is not the existing ditches - the data we have is showing no obstructions or blockage along these canals," Ward explained. "We can also rule out a lack of historical information, as many of these residents have been living in this area for more than 15 years, and this is a recent problem."

Ward did say that the overall slope of the land is nearly flat, meaning that water flows slowly into Big Muskego, prolonging the time it takes for the water to draw down.

In addition it was suggested that replacing a downstream field crossing pipe may provide better outflow and decrease the time it would take to move the water, especially in times of heavy rainfall or during the spring thaw.

Ward also explained that simply making the ditches deeper would not help, as the water would still remain at the same level.  However, he said that the city should still monitor the ditch system to evaluate their efficiency.

Alderman Noah Fiedler, who also chairs the Public Works Committee, cautioned residents that while they would recommend the installation of a new crossing, continued flooding issues may need to be addressed among residents.

"We're looking at an area that is largely privately owned," Fiedler said.  "Future problems may need to be worked out among residents."

The overall response by those residents was one of gratitude for the work put into the study, and continued commitment to work with the city to resolve the issue.