Meigs County Drainage Issue Causing Dispute

Flooding last Thursday in Ten Mile caused by a faulty drainage. (Courtesy: Zach England)

TEN MILE, Tenn. (WDEF)- Last week’s heavy rains caused flooding in parts of the Tennessee Valley.

However for one Meigs County town, they say this has been an ongoing problem.

The community of Ten Mile sits along Watts Bar Lake on Highway 304.

The area has roughly 4,000 residents along with tourists who come in to enjoy the area’s outdoor activities.

However, those who live in the community say drainage issues in the heart of town poses a threat to life and property.

One Ten Mile resident, Janice Swihart, said, “Every time we get a heavy rain… This is all under water behind us.”

Last Thursday, the Ten Mile area saw three to four inches of rain.

This led to flash flooding in the town.

The owner of the Mr. Twister Restaurant in Ten Mile, Debbie Gay, recalled that, “I was worried I was going to have to get some sandbags to put in front of my door to make sure water didn’t get inside my building.”

Witnesses say the flooding got so bad that it jumped from the culvert on one side of the road to the other side, threatening nearby businesses.

This flood event was not a one time occurrence.

Meigs County Commissioner for District 5, Zach England, said, “The drainage issues have been a problem for many, many years, but over the past five to six years they have definitely increased.”

A ditch alongside State Highway 304 is the culprit locals say to the flooding.

The responsibility of fixing the issue is disputed

England says that the ditch is the responsibility of TDOT since it runs alongside a state highway.

He said talks have been ongoing between the county and state for years to try to fix the issue.

England said, “Originally the state was very receptive to talking about fixing and resolving these storm water drainage issues, but lately the state has stonewalled me on any possible resolution.”

In an email correspondence with TDOT shared by England, TDOT says that the flooding is being caused by an illegal connection to their culvert.

That connection they say, is on private property, and fixing it would require right of way acquisitions.

We reached out to TDOT for comment on this story, and they sent us the following statement:

“A private property owner made an unapproved connection to our drainage system, and their system has failed. This caused water to back up into our drainage system and flood a property on the opposite side of the road. TDOT has no authority to repair a private drainage system.

We’ve had crews in the area today clearing debris from the roadway. “

For residents, this dispute keeps on kicking the can down the road.

Gay said, “I’m just worried it could destroy the livelihood of this little area.”

Swihart said, “Makes me very frustrated because this is happening at the end of my driveway, constantly. I’m on a major highway, so frustrations when I see them flooding because I know they’re not taking care that goes on around Ten Mile.”

England also shared that the flooding is causing interested businesses who want to move into town to not commit.

He said, “Not only is this a safety hazard for the residents who live in Ten Mile, Tennessee full time, but it is an economic development barrier when it comes to developing this side of the highway. It floods several prime commercial locations.”

He added that a vacant bank building is one of the affected structures, and that it is not able to be sold until this issue is fixed.