2020 Vol 14, Issue 5 November Gem Lake News

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Dear Gem Lake Resident: For several days I have been trying figure out a way to make culverts sound exciting. I decided to give up and just tell you that they are important. Because Gem Lake does not have an extensive stormwater system, we rely on other ways to make sure water flows properly in our city such as ditches and culverts. Most of our roads lack curbs and gutters which are used for conveyance of storm water. We have a lot of driveway culverts that are used to convey water under driveways or roadways. In most cases the care and maintenance of the culverts are the homeowners responsibility. First, what is a culvert? It’s a pipe that conveys water under a road or a driveway from the ditches. This water is being convey via the ditches to the low lying land such as ponds or wetlands. Keeping an eye on that culvert is really important. When they aren’t maintained, they can cause problems that create havoc on roads and driveways nearby. Over time, those culverts get clogged up with twigs, leaves, weeds, grass clippings, you name it. I called it “yard lint.” It’s going to build up, but it’s important to make sure the culvert doesn’t get plugged with all this stuff. The general rule of thumb is to make sure that yard lint doesn’t reduce water flow in your culvert. It’s time to take a look at your driveway culvert and make sure water flows through it and it isn’t clogged. It might be as simple as raking it out a bit. If things are really clogged and no maintenance has been done for years, more extensive work might be needed. Additionally, do not plow snow into the ditches near the ends of the culverts, which will also cause then to get plugged or clogged. Several years ago, during the winter of 2018-2019, unusually heavy snowfall clashed with several very clogged culverts. As a result, it complicated the Spring snow melt with flooding issues. Be a good neighbor and just go check that culvert. It isn’t glamorous, it isn’t even fun—but its needed. Best to make it an annual fall job. If you need help or advice, call us at Heritage Hall.