The Bronson flood and mosquito control ditch runs through a forest area at the edge of the James H. Cobb Park.

By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

                The chief engineer for the Suwannee River Water Management District says the ditch that runs through the west edge of Bronson has been designated as an administrative floodway giving it an extra layer of protection.

            The ditch is designed to prevent flooding in Bronson.

                Leroy Marshall II said if the county or city wants the ditch cleaned out it shouldn’t be a problem, but he wasn’t certain whether a man-made earthen berm blocking one entire section of the ditch could be removed.

            Marshall spoke at the Sept. 28 Bronson Town Council meeting to announce a virtual meeting the following day allowing people to look at the preliminary floodplain maps online and make comments.

            The maps are still available for public viewing on mysuwaneeriver.com, the water district website. Marshall said residents can contact him at his office. They will be asked to provide their parcel numbers. Call 386-362-1001.

            The preliminary flood maps will probably be final in the summer of 2021.

            Marshall said SRWMD visited Bronson in 2014 and took a look at the ditch.

            “We actually did what’s called an administrative floodway on that ditch so the ditch itself will be protected. We’ll have that extra layer of protection,” he said. “Cleaning it out shouldn’t be a problem. We actually have provisions for maintenance of canals and stuff like that, so if the city or county wants to clean it out, that won’t be a problem.”

            Councilman Aaron Edmondson asked Marshall what happens if the ditch runs through private property.

            “What is the status of that?” Edmondson said.

            “We would have to address that. It’s not a flood plain issue,” Marshall said.

            Marshall was asked if the administrative floodway designation allows for removal of manmade obstructions on private property blocking the flow of water.

            “You’re asking me if the ditch goes across private property do we have authority to make them clean it, is that what you’re asking? Marshall said.

            “They blocked it off,” said Mayor Beatrice Roberts.

            “They blocked it off,” added Edmondson.

            Councilman Jason Hunt said the blockage restricts the flow of water.

            Edmondson asked a more pointed question.

            “Do you have authority to open up that ditch and let the water through or not? Edmondson said.

            “I’ll tell you; why don’t we look at that because I don’t know the situation. I need to look at that. If it’s what I think you are talking about, I think we looked into that way before I was here. I do remember conversations like this when we came down in 2014. I would say, have somebody contact me and I can come back down and revisit and look into it,” Marshall responded.

            Council members were referring to an earthen embankment that was built across the ditch by property owner George Stevens a number of years ago. The embankment obstructs the flow of water through the flood ditch during high water events and prevents stormwater from reaching Chunky Pond, according to town officials.

            The earthen embankment was constructed in an era when legal opinions at the time said the ditch was owned by private property owners on both sides. The stormwater flows out of the same ditch system on the south side of Chunky Pond through several miles of farm fields to the Waccasassa River. The ditch also channels stormwater northwest under State Road 24 to a wetlands area.

            The ditch, constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, was built for the purpose of flood and mosquito control, according to people who lived through that era that have since passed away. The ditch prevents flooding in Bronson. The town has never flooded.

            The Federal Emergency Management District mistakenly designated the ditch as a branch of the Waccasassa River a number of years ago but has since corrected the error. The Waccasassa would have to flow uphill for the ditch to be a creek. The river flows west to the Gulf of Mexico.

            Spotlight called Marshall on Friday but has yet to receive a response.

            Former Bronson Town Councilman Berlon Weeks successfully fought to overturn the designation of the ditch as a tributary of the Waccasassa River. Federal and state authorities re-designated the ditch as a ditch. But at some point, the ditch was removed from online floodplain maps. Weeks called attention to the latest issue. The ditch is back on the floodplain maps as a ditch.

            Weeks was removed from the council by the council members in later September. The legal status of his removal is pending council review.

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Town of Bronson Meeting September 28, 2020; Posted October 2, 2020