Published: November 02, 2009 09:48 pm      

New Albany Stormwater crews rid Falling Run Creek of trees, shopping carts and trash

New Albany stormwater crews removed between 12 and 15 tons of debris from Falling Run Creek in a project that wrapped up Monday, Utilities Director Brad Kessans said.

Heavy rain events have frequently led to flooding around the Graybrook Lane neighborhood, as the road is habitually closed due to floodwater that runs across the route near New Albany Springs Golf Course.

Kessans said the recent work should result in less flooding as numerous stoppages in Falling Run Creek — which runs adjacent to Graybrook Lane — have been cleared.

Railroad ties, shopping carts and trash were just some of the items found in the creek, Kessans said. The debris keeps Falling Run from being able to handle the rise in water when heavy rains fall.

“We identified a few 100 percent blockages in that creek,” he said.

The litter found in Falling Run was in addition to logs, limbs and tree stumps that were clogging the creek, keeping water from being able to pass efficiently, Kessans said.

The city was able to save equipment costs for the work thanks to donations by two New Albany businesses. Padgett Inc. donated a crane and B L Curry & Sons Inc. provided machinery and helped with burning some of the debris removed from the creek.

“Without the help of Padgett and Curry, it would have been a very costly job because we would have had to rent equipment, and it would have been a financial issue to get out of,” Kessans said.

Crews worked near Fourth Street and the golf course for three days on the project, Kessans said. Several drainage maintenance projects have been tackled since 10 New Albany Street Department employees were transferred to the stormwater utility about six months ago, Kessans said.

“We’re consistently doing this work and we intend to throughout the winter,” he said.

New Albany was drenched by torrential downpours on several occasions during the spring and summer of 2009. Several tort claims have been filed against the city by residents for property damage, most stemming from the Aug. 4 flood that left streets submerged in water and backed up residential sewage lines in several houses.

Kessans said calls to the stormwater office have dipped significantly since the Aug. 4 storm. He credits that to the efforts of the utility to keep waterways clear of debris.

“With all the improvements that we’ve made, I bet we’ve cleared more than 50 major blockages since I’ve received these men,” Kessans said, referring to the employees that came to stormwater from the street department.

In addition to cleaning waterways this fall and winter, stormwater employees are assisting the street department by picking up leaves left curbside by New Albany residents until Nov. 28. To request leaf pickup, call the street department at 812-948-5352.