Drain Commissioner

Provide for the health, safety and welfare of St. Clair County citizens. The protection of surface waters, the environment and to promote the long term environmental and economic sustainability by providing storm water management, flood control, development review and water quality programs.

Mission Statement
The St. Clair County Drain Commissioner' s office is dedicated to providing good drainage for agriculture, homes, and businesses; to protecting riparian rights, natural resources, and water quality; and to managing our waterways for multiple uses: recreation, fishing, swimming, boating, scenic value, and wildlife habitat.

About the Office
The County Drain Commissioner is an elected office with a four year term. The Drain Commissioner is elected county-wide in a partisan election at the same time as the U.S. Presidential election.

The Drain Commissioner' s Office is independent of the County Board of Commissioners, other than for its administrative budget and the supplying of office facilities and equipment.

Other Duties
The St. Clair County Drain Commissioner is a member of the County Parks and Recreation Commission, the Binational Public Advisory Council for the St. Clair River Area of Concern, the Local Emergency Planning Committee, and serves as an advisor to the St. Clair County Water Quality Board. He serves on the Drainage Board of all Intercounty Drains that affect St. Clair County. He is also the administrator for a number of water quality grant projects funded by Clean Michigan Initiative and federal Section 319 funds. These include the Mill Creek Volunteer Monitoring Project, the Anchor Bay Watershed Planning Project, the Illicit Discharge Elimination Program, and the Village of Avoca Innovative Waste Water Treatment Project using constructed wetlands to treat septic waste.

Enabling Legislation
The Drain Commission' s office functions under the authority of State legislation. The role of the Drain Commissioner is described in the following acts:

• Michigan Drain Code (Act 40, P.A. of 1956 as amended)
• Land Division Act (Act 288 of 1967, as last amended by Act 87 of 1997)
• Condominium Act (Act 59 of 1978)
• Mobile Home Commission Act (Act 96 of 1987)
• Local Ordinances
• Common Law Natural Flow Rights

Products
The St. Clair County Drain Commission has published rules for review of storm water drainage in developments. These Rules of the St. Clair County Drain Commissioner are available from the Drain Office for $15.00.

Maps of the county drains and natural watercourses in each township is available for $2.00 each.

General Information
The St. Clair County Drain Commissioner manages 407 different county and intercounty drains, a total of about 850 miles of waterways. A few of these are enclosed storm sewers, but most are open watercourses. County drains are officially established by petition of landowners who form a drainage district. There are also about 950 miles of natural watercourses in the county that are not drains and are under the jurisdiction of the state as inland streams. Most road ditches are under the jurisdiction of the Road Commission, but some are county drains along a road. Township drain maps, available from the Drain Office, show which watercourses are officially drains.

Each drainage district is a separate public corporation and the construction and maintenance of the drains is financed by special drain assessments to the landowners within the district. Each drain has rights-of-way for the location and maintenance the drain. These are easement documents like a deed, which are recorded in the Drain Office. They date back over a hundred years. Easements acquired prior to 1956 are sometimes recorded only in the Drain Office and not in the Register of Deeds Office. Many landowners, title companies, and building inspectors are sometimes unaware of these drain easements. All visible waterways should be checked for easement restrictions by contacting the Drain Commissioner’s Office.

The County' s drainage systems was designed and constructed to handle rural development and agricultural storm water. As more of the county' s land surface becomes impervious through development, storm water detention and retention ponds become necessary. Therefore, all new developments in St. Clair County are required to have storm water detention facilities to cope with this additional runoff.

The presence and capabilities of floodplain and wetlands to absorb and store storm water has become more important in the county. The St. Clair County Drain Commissioner' s office works closely with federal, state, and local agencies to see that the laws regarding floodplain and wetlands are followed.

Permits
Permits from the Drain Commissioner' s office are required for:

• Any new discharge into a county drain
• Any culverts or bridges in a county drain
• Any utility crossing of a county drain
• Any earth change work in a county drain or right-of-way
• Any permanent structures in a right-of-way

Development Review Fees
Initial Review Fees Due with Application for Review:

In addition to these fees, there may also be additional costs if the project requires the relocation, clean-out, tiling, extension or establishment of a county drain, pursuant to Sections 425 or 433 of the Michigan Drain Code.

Website Information

Please be patient while our website expands. A summary list of what will be offered through our new website below. Please check back soon for later developments.

This site is your site. What you want to know, information to help you do business... visit... work... or live in St. Clair County.

A summary list of what will be offered through our new website below:

• Storm Water Management & Flood Control, Surface Water Quality, Educational Initiatives, Stream Protection and Restoration
• Water Quality Programs
• Responsibilities
• Permits and fees
• Community Partners, and Links
• Rules of the St. Clair County Drain Commissioner
• Application for Drain Commissioner Review
• St. Clair County Drain Permit Application

We're looking forward to serving you better!

Contact Information