A road flooding problem has Orion Township and Michigan’s Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) at a logjam.
Storm rains at the intersection of Grampian and Orion roads bring flooding levels so high some residents have put out sandbags. To make matters worse, the corner is a bus-stop for Lake Orion school children.
A township project that would divert the storm waters into nearby Paint Creek has thus far been blocked by the DEQ, who claim it could potentially harm one of the only cold-water trout streams in southeastern Michigan.
For the most part, the DEQ is following recommendations from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), who want to make sure the creek remains healthy for fish and wildlife populations.
Jerry Fulcher, chief of the transportation flood hazard unit at the DEQ, said a decision will be made in the next couple of weeks.
‘We’re trying to reach a compromise that will satisfy the DNR and still meet the needs of the township,? Fulcher said. ‘We’re trying to offer as much protection to the stream as possible.?
Jim Francis, a fisheries biologist for the DNR, said he has issues with the proposed project for a number of reasons.
According to Francis, water sitting in the road can absorb contaminants, rise to temperatures unhealthy for fish while sitting on hot pavement and would be delivered in high speeds to the stream.
The project would involve piping the water into the creek as it falls, though there would be filtration for containments.
‘It really increases the rate of the flow and that can cause a lot of problems,? Francis said.

Francis said Paint Creek is one of the only cold-water streams in the area that has brown trout and steelhead, and should be dealt with differently because of this fact.
‘It really is a unique river. It’s a high-quality resources and it’s something we really need to keep an eye on,? Francis said.
Local fly fishermen like Lake Orion village resident Jeff Aisthorpe want to make sure the health of the river is maintained for the same reason.
‘Having a trout stream in southeastern Michigan is a rarity. It’s something we should take care of,? said Aisthorpe. ‘I think it should be done in the environmentally best way.?
Francis said several alternative plans were proposed to the township, all of which were reject. This, he added, was the sticking point and why no permit has been issued yet.
‘There really are a number of alternatives,? Francis said. ‘They [the township] wasn’t interested in pursuing those. There’s a better way to do this that’s not going to have a negative impact on the environment.?
Township Supervisor Matt Gibb is interested in getting the project rolling as soon as possible. The hazards are too much to let the project–and water–sit any longer.
He said he’s taking a hardline against the DEQ because too much time is wasted with talk and committees on such projects.
‘Our position is real clear,? Gibb said. ‘For us, it’s a public safety issue. We have to solve the problem.?