News & Events

By Amy Matherly

About two years ago, residents of North Shore Drive who live across from Seller’s Woods, brought to the attention of the Simonton Lake Conservancy, a problem with drainage.  (Drainage issues in the Conservancy District are one of the purposes of the Conservancy.) Because the drainage situation involved a county road (N. Shore Drive) the problem was taken to the County.

As many of you may know the land from the Michigan line gently slopes down to Simonton Lake.  There are no creeks that drain the land directly north of the lake except for a gully along the north side of North Shore Drive along Seller’s Woods.  Those of us who live on North Shore and walk that road know that there has been a drainage tile under the road for decades.  This tile collected groundwater from land north of the road and connected with a gully that leads out to Simonton Lake.

Upon inspection by the County, it was found that the drainage tile was full of debris or possibly collapsed and therefore no longer working.  The tile also crossed the road at a point that the water had to cross several properties on the south side of the street to get to the lake.

During the first week of October 2020, the County removed the old tile and put in place a new one several feet to the east making a more direct route for drainage to the lake  The county also made improvements to the gully on the south side of the road, making drainage to the lake more efficient.   

Thanks to the County for completing this job.  This has been a thorn in the side of the residents along this section of North Shore Drive.  

For the rest of us, drainage issues may seem boring until your own basement or crawlspace is full of water.  This is why we need to make sure that the water coming from the land around the lake is drained away properly.