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Forms and Documents
Drain Commissioner
Office of the Drain Commissioner
Responsible for managing over 180 county drains and all court-ordered legal lake levels. The Commissioner serves on several public boards including Public Works, Parks & Rec, and various Lake Boards.
Soil Erosion & Sedimentation Control (SESC)
The Drain Commissioner acts as the County Enforcement Agent (CEA). Oversight is required for all non-agricultural earth changes that are.
- One or more acres in area
- Within 500 feet of a watercourse or lake
Chapter 8: Petitioned Projects
The process for improvements or new drainage projects follows a strict legal sequence:
01
Petitions with 5+ signatures submitted.
02
Board of Determination meeting held.
03
Engineered plans and profiles created
04
Construction bidding and computation of costs.
05
Day of review for property assessments.
06
Final construction or clean out begins.
How to start: Contact our office to reveive a petition. You must collect 5 signatures from owners in the district and have the petition notarized.
Major Drainage Projects
- Wildcat Drain: Three Rivers, Lockport, & Fabius Twps
- Corey Lake Intercounty: Fabius & Newberg Twps (View Drawings)
- Nye Drain: City of Sturgis & Sturgis Twp
Maintenance & Notices
Meeting notices are posted regularly on the homepage. Smaller maintenance projects are ongoing throughout the year.
Working on your property? You must obtain a permit before connecting into, crossing over, or through any county drain.
2025 Drain Assessments
Drain Name
Assessment Term
Total Amount
Felker Drain
Year 1 of 1
$12,000
Nye Drain
Year 5 of 5
$21,083.18
German Foster Drain
Year 1 of 1
$10.000
Wilcox Drain
Year 2 of 2
$10,000
Laird, Tompkins, Doan Drain
Year 1 of 1
$6,000
Leonidas, Mendon, Little Portage Drain
Year 1 of 1
$4,000
Marl Lake Drain
Year 1 of 1
$1,200
Sweet Lake Drain
Year 1 of 1
$1,000
Corey Lake Intercounty Drain
Year 1 of 4
$162,247.92
Department Contacts
Drain Commissioner
| Name | Title | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Jeffery Wenzel | Drain Commissioner | (269) 467-5600 |
| Traci Balyeat | Deputy Drain Commissioner | (269) 467-5600 |