Heavy rainfall in Porter County brought to light new issues for Porter County's agricultural community.
A newer practice that farmers have started in their crop is vertical no-till, which means instead of tilling the remnants of the corn stalks after harvest, farmers leave them on top of the soil to decompose and simply plant new crops without tilling. It's a cost-effective method for farmers because they no longer need to make several laps through the field, just one to plant new seeds, said David James, the Porter County highway supervisor.
But when it comes to rain, those loose cornstalks can cause problems, he said.
Heavy rain the last few days fall caused the corn remnants to wash out of the fields and into Cornell Ditch, which runs alongside houses in the Yellowstone subdivision in Hebron.
As it accumulates, it can block drainage and cause flooding.
"According to witnesses, the water was almost two feet above the pavement," Kevin Breitzke, the Porter County surveyor, said. "And the water went nearly 50 feet up into the yard."
The flooding resulted after rains last week that dumped at least three inches in a small amount of time, Brietzke said. And the cleanup wasn't exactly simple. Hired contractors removed nine to 10 truckloads of the corn remnants from Cornell Ditch, said James.
Cornell Ditch in Yellowstone wasn't the only instance of flooding though, said Breitzke. There was flooding on many county roads and even flooding that left corn stalks all around Boone Grove Elementary School after the waters receded.
The rain last week persisted into the weekend, which has put Porter county at an even higher risk of floods, especially flash floods.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is a flash flood watch because the ground is already saturated, and as more rain is added the immediate runoff can lead to rapid flooding. This could lead to stream and creek rises and flooding of roadways that affect traffic.
Hebron has been having problems with flooding, especially on the north and south sides of town, according to the clerk's office. The heavy rain has caused flooding across roads and into yards, but with drainage, problems seem to be solving themselves in some places.
In Lake County, Surveyor Bill Emerson Jr. said Monday that because the southern areas of the county have been the hardest hit by rain, crews are out monitoring "the usual suspects," or areas that are prone to flooding or clogging debris.
"There's really nothing unsuspected," he said. "We're looking for the areas that are flowing and taking the water out where it's supposed to go. The problem is that the ground is so saturated right now, it takes a while for water to recede.
"But I'm waiting for the crews to come back in to let us know what's going on."
Freelance reporter Michelle L. Quinn contributed.