Flooded waterways causing problems in Kosciusko County

KOSCIUSKO COUNTY, Ind. -- The water levels keep rising in Kosciusko County and with more rain in the forecast, officials are keeping a close eye on the lakes and rivers in the county.

Grassy Creek is one of the waterways that feeds into Tippecanoe Lake, which then flows into the river.
Right now it’s overflowing.
Lyn Crighton with the Tippecanoe Watershed Foundation monitors all water that feeds into the Tippecanoe River near Oswego.

"It’s 114 square miles and includes 50 lakes,” said Crighton.

She says the area has seen a lot of flooding in the past few years.

You’ve probably heard of a 100 year or 10-year flood.

"A 10 year flood means every years there's a 10 percent chance that there could be a flood of that magnitude,” said Chrighton.

In this area-there have been ten 10-year floods in the past five years.

Crighton says it's a good time to remind people to think about what's going into the local lakes and rivers.

"Runoff and rain and snow melt which leads to flooding certainly affects water quality,” said Crighton.

She says when your grass is soggy you should try to conserve water because if you have a septic system-- that could spread.

"When the water is over the top of a septic system, any time you flush, run the laundry, run the dishwasher, that water is going directly into the flood water and into the lake,” said Chrighton.

There are other restrictions in the area.

The Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday that all watercraft on the Tippecanoe and Barbee chains cannot go above idle due to the high water.