KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday night to pass a resolution to conduct a preliminary study for finding a long-term solution to the ongoing flooding in Texas Township.
The main purpose for enacting such a resolution would be to set a legal lake level limit for both Crooked Lake and Eagle Lake.
Several citizens came to speak during the meeting, citing issues of road closures, flooded basements, ruined houses, and thousands of dollars in repairs and other flooding-related costs.
Others spoke of living in fear over what could happen to their homes if a solution is not found.
Previous measures to combat flooding in Crooked Lake and Eagle Lake were set forth last year in the form of lake pumps, but some citizens said that measure is not enough.
“Eagle Lake right now is .12 inches higher than it was a week ago, but Crooked Lake is down a little bit,” Texas Township Board Trustee Tim Brown said. “These levels are about where we were in August of 2019. Even with the million-dollar pump, that’s where we are. We’ve been pumping since June of 2019.”
Representatives of Texas Township had previously presented a “Long-term Flooding Task Force” plan to address the high lake levels. A certain amount of signatures was needed from area citizens, which was achieved.
Board Chair Julie Rogers clarified that more steps still need to be taken after the approval of the resolution.
“A ‘yes’ vote for this tonight is just directing the Office of the Drain Commission to do a preliminary study,” Rogers said. “That is the extent of the motion tonight, so a ‘yes’ vote will be for [Patricia A.S. Crowley, PhD, Drain Commissioner] to do that study, and then she will come back to us with more information.”
Ultimately, the resolution was passed by the board. The Kalamazoo County Drain Commission is now expected to begin a study into the lake levels.
