Flooding persists as lake levels drop slowly across Carroll County

Carroll County commissioners received another update on ongoing flooding conditions during their April 9 meeting, as high water levels continue to impact roads across the county.

Commissioner Robert Wirkner said both Atwood and Leesville lakes remain near full outflow, but water levels are dropping slowly due to continued inflow from upstream areas.

“Leesville Lake has been at 100% outflow, and in the last 24 hours it’s only receded by three-tenths of an inch,” Wirkner said.

He said the slow drop is due to significant backwater still flowing into the lakes, a condition that is also affecting Atwood Lake.

“They’re at nearly 100% outflow, and it’s still coming down very slowly,” Wirkner said.

Officials noted that multiple roads, including State Route 39 and other low-lying areas, remain closed due to flooding. Wirkner said concerns about road closures have reached state officials in Columbus.

The continued high water follows several weeks of heavy rainfall, which has led to saturated ground conditions and prolonged flooding throughout the region.

In other business, commissioners:

—APPROVED permits for Frontier Communications to relocate and replace a defective utility pole and install buried cable along Andora Road in Augusta Township.

—RELEASED bid bonds for several paving companies following the awarding of a contract to Northstar Asphalt Inc. for the County Road 54 resurfacing project.

—APPROVED a $562 rental agreement with the Carroll County Agricultural Society for use of the Ashton Event Center for the county’s annual HR training, including a refundable $125 deposit.

—APPROVED a contract and notice to proceed with J. Green Excavating LLC for demolition work under the county’s building demolition and site revitalization program.

—AUTHORIZED sending the demolition contract to the prosecutor for review.

—ISSUED a request for proposals for auction services related to vacated buildings from the county’s move to the annex building, with proposals due May 6.

—PAID the bills totaling $138,761.68.

—ENTERED executive session to discuss property matters, with no action taken following the meeting.