Northampton County to study drainage issues

By Ted Shockley

Ditch drainage has become a hot topic in Northampton County after a February that saw five more inches of rain than average.

In all, 18 of the 28 February days received rainfall, according to the Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Painter, which has recorded daily rainfall for the last 81 years.

The result has been plenty of standing water. Northampton County Administrator Charles Kolakowski said during a Tuesday meeting that he has talked to the Virginia Department of Transportation about ditch maintenance.

He said county officials will be working with state transportation officials to identify top drainage priorities.

But administrative obstacles remain.

“Anything along these lines is going to take engineering,” he said.

Supervisor Oliver Bennett said the county’s extension office several years ago did an inventory of drainage issues, and Kolakowski said the county also would use that information.

Supervisor Betsy Mapp asked if the county could urge landowners to ensure ditches on their properties flowed.

Bennett said the main ditches also needed to be cleaned.

Supervisor Dixon Leatherbury asked Kolakowski how the transportation department chose its ditching projects.

“That’s probably a $64 million question,” he said.

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