4/3/18 – 10:54 A.M.

The contractor handling tree removal along the Blanchard River met the March 31 deadline to complete their work. Project Manager Steve Wilson updated the Hancock County Commissioners about the first phase of the Blanchard River flood reduction project during their Tuesday meeting.

Crews had to remove the trees before March 31 to comply with EPA regulations. Any tree removal beyond that date would have conflicted with the nesting season of the Indiana Brown Bat.

Wilson says crews will perform some maintenance of the area in the coming weeks.

The flood reduction plan calls for removing trees to allow for the widening of the Blanchard in Findlay.