BROOKFIELD Township trustees consider dredging and damming Yankee Run Creek

The thunderstorm of July 21 caused flooding in the area.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
BROOKFIELD -- Township trustees are exploring anti-flooding projects such as dredging and damming Yankee Run Creek.
"We feel we have a responsibility to do something about it," Trustee J. Philip Schmidt said Friday of eliminating flooding along the waterway.
Trustees will meet in special session at 4 p.m. Thursday at the administration building to discuss the issue.
The creek flows through the village of Yankee Lake, south along Yankee Run Road, into Hubbard Township and eventually into Shenango Reservoir.
During the July 1 thunderstorm, Schmidt explained, the sewage treatment plant in Masury, which is operated by the Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer, sustained extensive damage.
The storm did not result in the plant closing, and raw sewage did not run out of it, he said.
But because of the flooding of the plant and high water in the Davis Street area of Masury, trustees want to seek a solution.
Schmidt said it appears the dredging should be done north of Masury and east of state Route 62 in the Brookfield Avenue area.
Silt has built up about three feet higher than the creek bed in some areas. In some cases, he said, the creek flows north rather than the usual southerly direction.
Normally, Schmidt said, flooding is not a problem.
Details of the plan
Schmidt said he doesn't know how much a dredging project will cost. Trustees had considered seeking help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency but don't know how much money to seek.
Trustees believe the dredging should be a county or state project, Schmidt said.
He explained that about 15 years ago, the Army Corps of Engineers said in a study that dredging wasn't feasible. But, Schmidt said, times have changed.
A dam at Yankee Lake was breached in the late 1960s or early 1970s, Schmidt said, because the structure was old and those downstream were concerned for their properties if it failed.
State Sen. Marc Dann, D-32nd, will attend the special meeting, Schmidt said, and officials from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources have been asked to attend to discuss the dam.
yovich@vindy.com