Drainage Files

Welcome to Vermillion County

Brief History

In 1965, the Legislature worked to combine multiple and sometimes conflicting statutes into a single document entitled “Drainage Law” I.C. 36-9-27.  In this statute it describes how county drainage boards were supposed be set up, who was responsible for constructing, inspecting, and maintaining county drains now bearing the title of Regulated Drains, and how such work was to be funded by the watershed participants for each Regulated Drain, separate from one another.

In 1966, Vermillion County Commissioners, self-appointed themselves as the Vermillion County Drainage Board, authorized an audit of the Commissioner Record Books to determine what “Legal” Regulated / Public Drains already constructed were county responsibility.

The Commissioners, upon the completion of the audit received a report identifying the following Drains:

              Armour Morgan, et al, Public Drain (Highland Township)

              Morgan, Puffer Manford, Stewart, et al, Public Ditch (Helt Township)

              Henry C. Carithers Public Ditch (Highland Township)

              Henry Volkill, et al, Public ditch (Highland Township)

              Thomas C Hood, et al, Public Drain (Town of Dana)

              E.B. Bell, et al, Public Drain (Helt Township)

              John L Brown Public Drain (Helt Township)

This report was supposed to be kept on file in the County Surveyor’s Office, the file of which has never been found.  What was determined was that the Commissioners failed to establish the corresponding watershed for each structure, then identify participating acreage of the watershed for each drain, and then organize each group to be assessed a fair rate per acre that would share in the expense for the maintenance and upkeep of these structures, all according to the statute.

In 2012, IC 36-2-12 was enacted giving the County Surveyor the total responsibility for the construction, maintenance and upkeep of all county Regulated Drain structures. A new audit and search for documentation supporting the existence of Regulated / Public Drains in Vermillion County began in 2021.

In 2020 a new Vermillion County Drainage Board was formed made up of 4 county residents, 1 county executive, and ad hoc member the County Surveyor, all having a vested interest in preserving current drainage structures and developing others for the betterment of Vermillion County residents.

A new audit of records began in 2020 and as a result of the exhausted search of local, state, federal, Purdue University and Vermillion County Commissioner archives, records of 13 Regulated / Public Drains were found and are listed below:

              Armour Morgan, et al, Public Drain (Highland Township)

              Morgan, Puffer Manford, Stewart, et al, Public Ditch (Helt Township)

              Henry C. Carithers Public Ditch (Highland Township)

              Henry Volkill, et al, Public ditch (Highland Township)

              Thomas C Hood, et al, Public Drain (Town of Dana)

              E.B. Bell, et al, Public Drain (Helt Township)

              John L Brown Public Drain (Helt Township)

              McNeil Drain (Highland Township)

              Ramsey Regulated / Public Ditch (Highland Township)

              Thompson Bell Regulated / Public Drain (Helt Township)

              Dana Line B Regulated / Public Drain (Helt Township)

              Elder Hulbert Regulated / Public Drain (Helt Township)

              John L. Brown Regulated / Public Drain (Helt Township)

Beginning in 2023, the Vermillion County Drainage Board began the process to evaluate the current condition and legal status of each drainage structure for the sole purpose of either Vacating the structure to remove it from all county responsibility and liability, or to legally reestablish the drain, determine what the current watershed acreage for that drain was, and to then determine a fair maintenance assessment per acre to pay for the maintenance and upkeep of that drain, as provided for under IC 36-9-27-39 thru 45.5.”

Indiana Drainage Law

VC Drainage Board Rules of Procedure

 VC Active Regulated / Public Drains

 Vacated Regulated / Public Drains

Suspected Underground Utility Locations

MUST CALL 811 FOR LOCATIONS BEFORE DIGGING

Comcast Cable

ILLINOIS BORDER TO CAYUGA – IN ST. RD. 234 (CR 410 N, CR 480 N, CR 150 W)
CAYUGA TO WABASH RIVER – IN 234 (E. CR 480 N)
SOUTH CAYUGA 8TH STREET TO MEDICAL OFFICE – (W. CR 400 N)