Starke County Park Board members are encouraged to attend the next county drainage board meeting to discuss their concerns about the marsh in the Starke County Forest. Board member Debbie Mix told the commissioners park board members are looking at other sources of grant funds to cover the cost of constructing a bypass ditch along the south end of the property to alleviate drainage issues.
It carries an estimated price tag of $20,000. The park board intends to apply for a grant from Arrowhead Country RC&D to help pay for the study. However their maximum award is $5,000. Mix asked the commissioners for more time to reach a solution to the problem.
Nearby land owners have complained about flooding due to beaver dams in the forest. The bypass ditch would move water around a decades-old marsh and preserve wildlife habitat in the forest.
