Development in My Backdoor

The following information was provided by Don Wauthier’s - Berns, Clancy, and Associates,- presentation at the 2009 IADD Annual Conference.

Every single minute of every day, America loses two acres of farmland. Illinois ranks 5th for losing the most prime farmland. These statistics are not very shocking to residents of rural America. What once was the World’s Best soil intended to feed the world is drastically being swallowed up by developers. We are now suddenly growing concrete.

In the 1800s, farmers dug man-made ditches for the sole purpose of turning unproductive swampland into lush, fertile farm ground. The same valuable farmland generations of agriculture producers have farmed to earn a living and feed the world.

Our ancestors understood that drainage is an essential utility. These man-made ditches today serve the same purpose of draining storm runoff as they have for centuries. The only difference is some ditches drain acres of farmland and others drain miles of concrete.
A common water barrier most districts are facing is outdated drainage systems never intended to handle urban runoff. Development in general can create numerous problems for adjacent landowners, drainage districts, and the entire watershed.