3/20/14 - With the federal government pulling out its support, some local stakeholders are stepping up to provide funding for a device that provides data on flooding and water levels. Flooding in the southern part of Livingston County is largely dependent on the Huron River, and stream gauging stations along the river provide officials with vital information on water levels and patterns. One of them is maintained by funding from Green Oak and Hamburg Townships along with the County Drain Commission. A second one, near Kent Lake, is currently funded by the Huron Clinton Metropark Authority and the US Geological Survey. However, Green Oak Township Supervisor Mark St. Charles says they expect the USGS to pull its funding out of that sensor in the coming year. Rather than lose the data it provides, Green Oak passed a resolution last night to team up with Hamburg and the Drain Commission plan to split the bill evenly with the HCMA, costing each party about $2,550 per year. St. Charles hopes the partners in this endeavor create a 10-year funding plan for the stream gauges so each party would not have to approve funding on a year-by-year basis. The Green Oak Township Board also approved a resolution of support for Hamburg Township, which is petitioning the Army Corps of Engineers to do a hydrology modeling study of the river. St. Charles says this is just one more tool for local officials to mitigate the effects of flooding on the area. (TD)
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