Welcome to the Wells County Surveyor's Office. Your county surveyor is a constitutional officer of the county and is elected to a 4-year term from the county at large. Please take a look around and enjoy your visit.

· Regulated Drain: an open drain, tiled drain, or a combination of the two that is maintained by the county.

· Open Drain: a natural or artificial channel that carries surplus water and was established under or made subject to any drainage statute.

The Surveyor promotes and recommends the USDA/NRCS filter strip program along all located ditches.

· Tiled Drain: a tiled channel that carries surplus water and was established under or made subject to any drainage statute.

No permanent structures are to be built within 75 feet, and from either side of any county regulated open or tile drain without a variance given by the Drainage Board.

· Maintenance: A regulated drain is in need of periodic maintenance when; with or without the use of mechanical equipment it can be made to perform the function for which it was designed and constructed and to properly drain all affected land under current condition, by periodically cleaning it; spraying it; removing obstruction from it; making minor repairs to it.

· Reconstruction: A regulated drain is in need of reconstruction when it will not perform the function for which it was designed and constructed; it no longer conforms to the maps, profiles, and plans prepared at the time when the legal drain was established; or topographical or other changes have made the drain inadequate to properly drain the lands affected without extensive repairs or changes including:

· Converting all or part of an open drain to a tiled drain or a tiled drain to an open drain;

· Adding an open drain to a tiled drain or a tiled drain to an open drain;

· Increasing the size of the tile;

· Deepening or widening an open drain;

· Extending the length of a drain;

· Changing the course of the drain;

· Constructing drainage detention basins and drainage control dams;

· Providing for erosion control and for grade stabilization structures;

· Making any major change to a drainage system that would be of public utility.

· Watershed: an area of land from which all runoff water drains to a given point or that is affected by a small lake. A watershed area can contain several regulated open and tile drains.

C. Scott Mossburg (260)-694-6141
Paul I. Bonham (260) 694-6106
Kevin S. Woodward (260) 622-7389
Jarrod M. Hahn (260) 346-2680
Drainage Board Members

Drainage Board Appointed Positions:
Trent Patterson
Attorney

Larry Owen
Engineer

Diana L. Collins
Drainage Board Secretary

PURSUANT TO IC 5-4-1.5, THE OFFICIAL MEETING DATES AND TIMES FOR 2008 FOR THE FOLLOWING:

THE DRAINAGE BOARD OF THE COUNTY OF WELLS, INDIANA.

MEET ON THE 1ST AND 3RD MONDAY OF EACH MONTH AT 8:00 A.M. (EXCEPT AS NOTED) IN THE COMMISSIONER'S ROOM, 223 W WASHINGTON ST, MULTIPURPOSE ROOM 105 IN THE ANNEX BUILDING, BLUFFTON, INDIANA 46714.

2009 MEETING DATES:

* NOTE: On October 19th The Wells County Drainage Board regular meeting will start at 7:30 a.m.

To be on the the Wells County Drainage Board’s Agenda, the request should be submitted to the Surveyor’s Office no later than three working days before the scheduled meeting.

JANUARY 5 - 20 (TUES)
FEBRUARY 2 – 17 (TUES)
MARCH 2 - 16
APRIL 6 - 20
MAY 4 - 18
JUNE 1 - 15
JULY 6 - 20
AUGUST 3 - 17
SEPTEMBER 8 (TUES) –21
OCTOBER 5 - 19
NOVEMBER 2 - 16
DECEMBER 7 –21

NOTE: “MEETINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE”.