Report an Obstruction or Damage

Report an Obstruction and/or Damage

When reporting or assessing a drainage issue, it is important to distinguish who has jurisdiction over the physical structure:

• County Highway Right-of-Way Culverts: These are drainage pipes and crossing structures located directly beneath county public roads. They are managed primarily by the County Highway Department to maintain roadway integrity and safe surface runoff.
• Regulated Drains: These are open ditches, subsurface tile networks, or crossing structures that have been established and classified under the Indiana Drainage Code. Maintenance, obstruction removals, and structural evaluations for these systems fall under the technical authority of the County Surveyor and the Drainage Board.

1. Debris and Natural Blockages

• Fallen trees, large limbs, root wads, and dense brush piles lodged against bridge openings, headwalls, or culverts.
• Floating timber, pallets, and heavy yard waste jammed into intake grates or restricted pipe openings.
• Discarded household items, furniture, appliances, or large trash piles dumped directly into open channels or ditches.

2. Sediment and Channel Siltation

• Severe soil erosion, sandbars, and heavy silt buildup choking the bottom of an open ditch or retention basin.
• Sloughing or collapsing stream banks that significantly narrow the flow area of the conveyance.

3. Infrastructure and Structural Damage

• Collapsed, crushed, or rusted-out culvert pipes.
• Broken storm sewer tiles, cracked catch basins, and sunken drop inlets.
• Sinkholes forming directly over underground storm lines or failing tile runs, indicating a structural collapse.

4. Man-Made Encroachments and Unauthorized Alterations

• Fences, sheds, retaining walls, decks, or outbuildings constructed illegally within drainage easements or right-of-ways that impede high-water flows.
• Unauthorized fill dirt, yard waste, or construction materials piled inside a channel or floodplain, reducing water storage capacity.

5. Wildlife and Animal Activity

• Beaver dams constructed across open ditches, tile outlets, or culverts.
• Large muskrat burrows or animal dens causing bank failure or structural undermining around drainage control structures.