After a lengthy study on whose responsibility it is to maintain Gloucester’s outfall ditches, there seems to be no clear solution in sight. Several clogged outfall ditches, especially those in the southern portion of the county, have posed problems, especially for motorists traveling along Maryus Road, Guinea Circle and Brays Point Road.

Middle Peninsula Planning District Commission executive director Lewie Lawrence presented a study to the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors Oct. 15 that was conducted to review ownership and easement limitations to the long-term maintenance of roadside and outfall ditches throughout the district.

According to Lawrence, the Virginia Department of Transportation maintains roadside ditches as necessary to protect the road; however, the outfall ditches leading away from the roads have been neglected in recent years. He said the purpose of the study was to identify ownership/easement rights along the outfall ditches as input to determining potential legal responsibility for long-term care and maintenance.

In the case of the Gloucester roads, Lawrence said easements were not found to be in place, therefore exempting the county from any right or obligation to maintain the channels. However, he said the county does have the option of seeking drainage easements over the outfall ditches and then consider funding the maintenance of those ditches using taxpayer dollars. Otherwise, he said the maintenance of the outfall ditches could be left to the current property owners over whose property they pass.

York district supervisor Carter Borden, who has been pushing to have these outfall ditches cleaned since taking office nearly four years ago, was frustrated at the results of the study. “I totally disagree with the fact that VDOT has no responsibility because the outfall ditches are not working and water crosses over the road, which causes a safety factor,” he said.

“What coordination can your organization do to bring the state into this situation?” Borden asked. “You can dig ditches along the roads, but if there is no outfall ditch, they can’t do anything.”

Lawrence said the subject of the clogged ditches causing a safety issue on the roadways had not been explored and that the question should be posed to VDOT.

Borden also made the point that although four areas were identified in this study, there are many other ditches that create problems throughout the county; many that are on higher ground. “It’s a problem all over the county,” Borden said. “I appreciate you got this going and are checking with the state about (safety). I’ve worked four years and can’t get anything done.”

The board agreed to have county staff draft a letter outlining the study to Del. Keith Hodges (R-Middlesex). “We need to get him involved,” Borden said. “I don’t think there needs to be a phone call from Carter, but a letter from this county. We need to get him involved. We’re paying him. Our taxpayers are paying him. We need to make him aware of what his VDOT organization is doing about these ditches.”