By VICKI URBANIK

In what was heralded as a major step forward for water quality and a positive sign of intergovernmental cooperation, the Porter County Commissioners on Tuesday endorsed a new agreement aimed at protecting the Chain of Lakes in Liberty and Center townships.

The resolution – which also has the backing of the city of Valparaiso and the Valparaiso Lakes Area Conservancy District – establishes new procedures to be followed whenever there is a major new development in the lakes’ watershed.

Basically, the agreement adopts the county government’s stormwater ordinance and requires developers to obtain an independent review of how their project will affect drainage, erosion and sedimentation in the lakes.

The lakes affected are Wauhob, Loomis, Mink, Flint, Long and Moss, which collectively are known as the Valparaiso Chain of Lakes. The watershed covers four square miles or 2,623 acres in Liberty and Center townships.

The agreement was prompted by a commissioners’ meeting last year, at which a host of lake residents, along with environmentalists who have been working to protect the lakes, presented a slew of concerns – among them, extensive flooding, significant mud flows into the lake, and evidence that the severe sedimentation is destroying the fish life.

In response, the commissioners formed a working group that consisted of County Plan Commission Executive Director Robert Thompson and representatives from the VLACD and the city.

Attorney David Hollenbeck, who represents the city and VLACD, commended County Commissioner President Robert Harper for his work to come up with a solution.

Hollenbeck also said the multi-government agreement is significant, representing a “classic example of what government should be about.”

“This is a real step forward on the drainage issue,” he said.

Hollenbeck said he feels the agreement can serve as a model for other areas of the county, since it shows how “governments can come together to solve a problem.”

“In other words, this is a watershed idea,” said North Porter County Commissioner John Evans.

Evans, too, commended those who have been working on the agreement, noting that the lakes are sensitive. Without added protections, “the delicateness of those lakes will be lost forever.”

For his part, Harper noted what led up to the county’s storm water ordinance. He said new subdivisions were approved but then their drainage plans proved unworkable, in turn causing problems for neighboring residents. The county’s ordinance now requires an independent review of drainage plans before the development can win approval.

“That is the basis of what we’re trying to accomplish here,” Harper said of the resolution for the Chain of Lakes. But he also said the lakes agreement goes a step further, given the sensitive nature of the lakes.

The working group members have received proposals from engineering firms and are expected to select one that would review the drainage impacts from new developments in the lakes basin.

Hollenbeck said the independent reviews would be required for developments like subdivisions and shopping centers, with the developers paying the costs.

The area affected is bounded by C.R. 700N in Liberty Township on the north, North Calumet Avenue on the east, Vale Park Road on the south, and Campbell Road (Meridian Road) on the west.

Posted 8/6/2008