What do the terms “brushing” and “dredging” mean?

The terms "brushing" and "dredging" are used in the Surveyor's Office when discussing the maintenance of regulated drains. "Brushing" is the removal of trees, and small woody vegetation from the top of the bank to the flow line of the drain. Brushing occurs when the woody vegetation has become overgrown on the banks of the regulated drain and is limiting the amount of water that can flow through this channel. "Dredging" is the process of excavation excess sediment in the channel of the drain in order to increase flow and the storage capacity of the drain. These two operations are performed by contractors under the direction of the County Surveyor's Office.

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1. What are section corners?
2. Where can I get a county map?
3. Where can I get a recorded plat of my property?
4. Why was my survey drawing not recorded when my property was surveyed?
5. Why do I see people from your office working or digging in the middle of the road?
6. When do I need a drainage permit?
7. What is the process for a drainage permit?
8. What is the Hancock County Drainage Board and who are the members?
9. How can I contact the Hancock County Drainage Board?
10. When do I need to go before the Hancock County Drainage Board?
11. When and where does the Drainage Board meet?
12. What is a floodplain?
13. What is a flood zone?
14. What is a floodway?
15. What is a flood fringe?
16. Who sets the standard for what is a floodplain, flood zone, floodway, and flood fridge?
17. Who can help me with a flood zone determination?
18. Can I build in a floodplain? Floodway?
19. What is an elevation certificate? When do I need one?
20. What is a regulated drain?
21. Where do I find maps of regulated drains?
22. I have a tile that connects to a regulated drain. Does this mean that maintaining this tile is the county’s responsibility?
23. What do the terms “brushing” and “dredging” mean?
24. What is a “watershed”?
25. Why do I pay a drainage assessment and the drain is not on my property?
26. How do I petition to make a drain a regulated drain?
27. What is the general drainage improvement fund?
28. What is a drain maintenance fund?
29. Who contributes to the general drain fund?
30. How is the interest gained from investment applied to drainage funds?
31. How long does a drain stay on assessment?
32. Where do I pay my drainage assessment?
33. How is a drainage assessment determined?
34. What are benchmarks?
35. What is a “legal survey”?
36. Do you do private surveys?
37. What is the Community Rating System (CRS) program?
38. How do I get in touch with IDNR? FEMA? Army Corps of Engineers? NRCS?
39. What is NPDS Phase II?
40. How does a licensed surveyor locate your property lines?