Wabash-Cannonball Connection Seriously Damaged

The photo shows the state of the damage on Nov. 11, 2009. View to South, from the trail centerline showing bulldozer and backhoe damage of NORTA property. Water flowing onto the trail ditch on S. side of trail approx 1800 W. of Co. Road 16

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from the Cannonball Courier, the NORTA newsletter, July 2010, by Jay Budde

In November 2009, the NORTA Board of Directors learned of a serious incident of damage to the trail in Williams County between Williams County Roads 16 and 15. The damage appeared to have occurred as part of an adjacent landowner’s attempt to drain his land. Heavy equipment, believed to include a bulldozer and backhoe entered NORTA property, crossing and destroying a fence that was clearly marking the southern boundary of NORTA property. Earthmoving equipment cut through a natural embankment blocking drainage from the adjacent landowner’s property and opened a 4 foot wide by 5 foot deep trench draining directly onto the trail.

During the spring and summer of 2010, surface drainage flows, as a result of this damage and heavy spring rains, have eroded the trail surface in this area. The Board is attempting to work with the parties believed to have caused this damage to restore the trail to its condition before the damage.

Although this is slightly west of where the North Country Trail leaves the Wabash-Cannonball trail and heads north, the resources needed to deal with problems of this magnitude divert attention from other improvements.

NORTA, Northwest Ohio Rails to Trails Association