CLINTON —
Digging to widen Clinton’s notorious Feather Creek is set to begin much sooner than anyone expected.
Construction on the project could begin as soon as November, said Jack Gilfoy Jr., mayor of Clinton. Original projections were that the work would begin next spring.
Gilfoy said he spoke with members of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last week and things are moving faster than expected.
“Everybody has been working together well on this thing,” Gilfoy said. “I just can’t wait for it to get started.”
Feather Creek, which runs through Clinton and empties into the Wabash River, has filled with debris and silt over the decades, making it a growing flood hazard for dozens of homes in the heart of the Vermillion County city.
Local officials have been trying without success since the 1930s to find a solution to the problem, leaving some Clinton residents skeptical this time around.
“I will honestly believe it when I see it,” said Donna Lines, whose home at Ninth and Vine streets in Clinton has frequently been surrounded by dirty, greasy floodwaters. When it rains heavily, “you don’t sleep at night because you just don’t know,” she said.
Kristy Jerrell, an official with the West Central Economic Development District and a key player in bringing the project to this point, said she understands why people are skeptical.
“I don’t blame them,” Jerrell said. “I think when people really see someone down there doing work, it’s going to be a reality to them.”
The first visible work for residents of the area to see should take place in July when utilities around Feather Creek must be moved, Jerrell said. The Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, which is providing about 30 percent of the project’s cost, recently authorized the release of money for utility relocation, she said.
Advertising for bids for the actual work on the creek itself is expected in August, Jerrell said.
Widening and reinforcing the banks of Feather Creek will take about one year and cost approximately $1.2 million. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is providing $819,000 while OCRA is providing $363,000. The City of Clinton will provide about $15,000.
The creek usually floods once a year, said Sue Ann Giovanini, who lives about a half-block from Feather Creek. A normal flood brings about three or four feet of water into her basement, she said. One of three floods in 2008 brought five-and-a-half feet of water into her home, she said.
“I’ll just be glad when it really does happen,” Giovanini said of work to widen the creek. “When it’s done, there’ll be a lot of people celebrating around here.”
Arthur Foulkes can be reached at (812) 231-4232 or arthur.foulkes@tribstar.com.
News
Flood prevention work could start this year on Feather Creek
Vermillion County waterway has caused problems since the 1930s
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