County officials are asking residents to refrain from raking or blowing grass clippings and yard debris into the county’s stormwater and drainage systems.

District 2 Commissioner Steve Turner said it’s a problem that needs to stop.

Clogged stormwaters and drainage ditches not only affect public property, such as standing water on county roads, but also private property when debris ends up in a resident’s yard.

Turner said his district is kind of like a little city within the county because of the number of subdivisions. The stormwater and drainage systems in those subdivisions consist of more curbs, gutters, drain guards and underground pipes than other areas throughout the county, which are made up of mostly large ditches.

Turner said there might be 200 to 300 feet of clogged pipe in an area, and the county doesn’t have equipment on hand to clean it out.

“We have to pay someone to do it,” he said. “That takes money away from possible resurfacing projects. We would much rather resurface a road than clean out a drain pipe.”

County Engineer Marc Massey said just because there is an easement doesn’t mean it’s county-maintained property. It is still private property, which the resident must maintain, Massey said. Many times debris from stormwater and drainage end up in a ditch on private property, and they are dumping on a resident’s yard, he said. That’s if the pipes are not clogged and have to be cleaned out first, Massey explained.

The only time the county can work on private property easements is if they pose imminent danger to the public right of way or the issue is causing damage, Massey said.

It’s important for residents to be mindful of how things work, he said.

“People don’t think about how it all works together,” he said. “Your decisions affect your neighbors and public taxpayer dollars.”