Mississippi County may have way to take part in ditch cleaning program

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Mississippi County officials may have found a way to make participation in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's ditch cleanout program feasible.

During the regular county commission meeting Thursday, Commissioner Martin Lucas said county officials had initially signed up to participate in the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service's Emergency Watershed Protection Program but then declined participating in the program after determining the requirement to pay prevailing wages would make the county's match too expensive.

Drainage districts in the county, which are not required to pay prevailing wages, according to Lucas, have been taking advantage of the program.

Lucas said he recently found out contractors who are owner-operators do not have to be paid prevailing wages by the county for EWP-funded projects on county-maintained ditches.

"This would save the county a lot of expense," he said.

Commissioners agreed to pursue funding through the program now for clean-outs on Ditch 10 and Ditch 3, totaling about 14 miles.

About $41 million was approved through the program for projects in 10 counties in Southeast Missouri to repair damage and remove silt from the spring flooding. The Emergency Watershed Protection Program pays 75 percent of the cost, leaving 25 percent for the local entity to cover.