VANDERBURGH COUNTY, INDIANA

PREPARED BY:

BILL JEFFERS

VANDERBURGH COUNTY SURVEYOR

ROOM 325 CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX

ONE NW ML KING JR BLVD.

EVANSVILLE, IN 47708-1833

OFFICE: 812-435-5210

FAX: 812-435-5023

www.VanderburghSurveyor.com

February 22, 2005

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

100.00 PURPOSE

To remove all undesirable vegetation and loose debris from the Regulated Drains in Vanderburgh County as directed and determined by the Vanderburgh County Surveyor and to facilitate proper drainage.

200.00 SPECIFICATIONS

201.00 CLEAN, CLEAR, STERILE DITCH BOTTOMS

The Contractor shall remove, or cause to be removed, all vegetation, loose debris, and brush from the ditch bottom. When using ground sterilants, the Contractor shall spray only the ditch bottom. No sterilants shall be sprayed, spilled, or drifted onto the side slopes of the ditch, nor outside the ditch banks. All loose debris collected as part of the work shall be properly disposed of by the Contractor and included in the bid price as a part of the work described in this section.

202.00 CLEAN, CLEAR CHANNEL WITH CONTROLLED GRASS COVER

The Contractor shall remove, or cause to be removed, all undesirable vegetation and loose debris as directed by the Vanderburgh County Surveyor within the trapezoidal channel between the ditch banks and within an area five (5) feet outside the tops of the ditch banks.

The Contractor shall maintain and leave these areas in such a manner as to promote the growth of desirable cover grasses.

When using herbicides or growth regulators, the contractor shall apply all chemicals in such a manner as to spray only within the ditch banks, and to a distance of five (5) feet outside the tops of the banks (see Special Provisions section for any increased pathway maintenance requirements).

The Contractor shall take care not to allow spray to drift or spill on crops, lawns, or other ground cover outside the five (5) foot limit at the top of the banks.

The Contractor shall properly dispose of all debris encountered during or generated by the work and the costs of such disposal shall be included in the bid price as a part of the work described in this section.

203.00 REMOVAL OF NOXIOUS WEEDS

The following prohibited noxious weeds must be controlled by the Contractor if they are found within the trapezoidal channel between the ditch banks, or within the areas up to five (5) feet from the tops of the ditch banks:

The “Work Log” shall be surrendered to the Vanderburgh County Surveyor upon completion of the work; and shall be available for inspection by the Surveyor at all times during the Contract period.

211.00 SPRAYING PROHIBITED ON WINDY DAYS

No spraying shall be done when the wind speed is in excess of eight (8) mile per hour.

212.00 CUTTING WEEDS TO ACHIEVE KILL PERCENTAGE

If the Vanderburgh County Surveyor determines that chemical control of vegetation is not sufficient to achieve the required kill percentage, the Contractor shall cut the vegetation and remove the clippings and debris to achieve the required kill.

213.00 LIMITED CONTROLLED BURNING

Controlled burning may be used for removal and disposal of clippings after obtaining proper permits, variances, and permissions, including those from the Environmental Protection Agency, Room 205 in the Riverside One Building at 101 Court Street. Their phone number at this printing is 812-435-6145. EPA’s FAX number is 812-435-6155 and their e-mail address is eepa@evansvillegov.org.

214.00 CLIPPINGS AND DEBRIS REMOVAL REQUIRED

The Contractor shall remove all clippings and loose debris in a timely fashion to avoid material washing downstream.

214.01 All loose debris which can be lifted out of the ditch using on-site manpower and equipment shall be removed as part of the Work.

214.02 For debris too large to be removed by on-site manpower, tools, and equipment, the Contractor shall notify the Surveyor immediately to arrange additional work.

214.03 All loose material generated by work of the Contractor that later accumulates and blocks the flow of the ditch will be removed at the Contractor’s expense.

Debris that has been chipped and evenly spread outside the channel is exempted from 214.03.

The Vanderburgh County Surveyor shall serve as sole agent and authority for final determination of appropriateness of actions required to comply with this section.

215.00 CHEMICAL APPLICATION DATES

The Contractor shall make all non-dormant chemical applications between April 1st and June 30th, unless product labeling requires otherwise. Contractor shall be responsible for submitting alternate application schedule to Surveyor.

All spraying (herbicide applications) and other specified activities shall be completed in accordance with schedules in the Special Provisions for ditches that are covered within said Special Provisions.

Any chemical applications not falling within the above dates should be discussed with and agreed upon by the Vanderburgh County Surveyor when submitting labeling and chemical information.

216.00 MOWING, AND DEBRIS REMOVAL DATES

216.01 The Contractor shall complete all mowing, cutting, burning, and loose debris removal between August 31st and October 31st on ditches that are covered under the General Specifications unless notified otherwise by the County Surveyor. This is also known as Annual or Regular Maintenance.

216.02 Ditches that require an additional ‘Late Spring’ mowing shall be mowed between May 15thand June 15th unless otherwise notified by County Surveyor.

216.03 The Contractor shall contact the Vanderburgh County Surveyor at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to any mowing activity. Crop damage notification is required by the Contractor prior to mowing through planted crops; no exceptions will be granted.

216.04 The County Surveyor shall serve as final authority for determining appropriate mow schedule relative to potential crop damage as a result of this section.

216.05 All mowing, tree and brush removal that does not involve excavation or other soil disturbing activities shall be completed no later than October 31st unless otherwise directed by the County Surveyor.

217.00 LIMITED TIME EXTENSION ALLOWED

Extensions beyond the time schedules outlined above will be granted by the Vanderburgh County Surveyor only for unusual weather conditions, product labeling requirements, or special circumstances including determinations made relative to crop damage.

218.00 FINAL ACCEPTABILITY DETERMINED BY SURVEYOR

The final determination of the acceptability of the Contractor’s work shall be made by the Vanderburgh County Surveyor; and:

No payments will be made to the Contractor until the Vanderburgh County Surveyor approves the work.

WARNING: A Contractor operating outside the limits imposed by these specifications risks the loss of payment for any and all work up to and including total payment.

219.00 PAYMENTS FOR APPROVED WORK

All payments for approved work shall be made by warrants approved by the County Auditor subsequent to the Contractor’s submittal of claims to the Drainage Board made through the Surveyor on prescribed forms available from the Auditor or the Surveyor.

After the work is completed a minimum (15) percent retainage will be withheld from payments due to the Contractor. This is required by Indiana State Statute. The retainage will be paid after the Contractor certifies that all expenses incurred by the Contractor in the performance of the maintenance of the legal drain have been paid and sixty (60) days have elapsed since project completion.

300.00 DEFINITIONS

301.00 VEGETATION: Shall mean all plant life growing or dormant and total plant cover attached thereto and found within the work area.

302.00 DITCH BOTTOM: The area from the toe of one ditch bank across the flow line to the toe of the opposite ditch bank; or the area which is generally submerged, wet, or damp during low water conditions.

303.00 DESIRABLE COVER GRASSES: Shall include, but are not limited to, all fescue, perennial rye, wheat, timothy, bluegrass; or other vegetation designated as desirable by the Vanderburgh County Surveyor.

304.00 UNDESIRABLE VEGETATION: Shall include, but is not limited to, broadleaf weeds, noxious weeds, cattails, reeds, tree sprouts, bushes, bamboo, cane, vines, or other vegetation designated as undesirable by the Vanderburgh County Surveyor.

305.00 BRUSH: Shall include all vegetation, other than “desirable cover grasses”, and less than eight (8) feet in height from the point of emergence.

306.00 LOOSE DEBRIS: Shall include, but are not limited to, all clipping and other

waste generated by the Contractor along with any other loose materials encountered by the Contractor during the course of the work.

307.00 CHANNEL: That part of the waterway existing between the top of one bank and the top of the opposite bank. The generally trapezoidal section of the waterway.

308.00 SOIL DISTURBING ACTIVITY: Any activity that removes the natural vegetation or man-made cover of the surface of the Earth that results in the exposure of the underlying soil.

400.00 GENERAL NOTES

* The Indiana Drainage Statues provide a right-of-entry upon all land alongside Regulated Drains for the purpose maintaining the drains.

* The statute provides that the landowner may use the land so long as such use does not interfere with the purposes of the drain.

* The rights-of-entry for legal drains in Vanderburgh County are:

1. Urban drains, a minimum of twenty-five (25) feet from the top of each bank.

2. Rural drains, a maximum of seventy-five (75) feet from the top of each bank.

500.00 SOIL DISTURBING ACTIVITIES

501.00 SEEDING AND MULCHING

All work that involves excavating or soil disturbing activities shall be completed no later than September 15th and shall include seeding and mulching as directed by the County Surveyor. Seed mixtures will include grasses, legumes and other seed appropriate to the site and as listed in the specifications for the jobs or as specified by the USDA, NRCS or per the Vanderburgh County Surveyor’s direction.

502.00 SILT DIPPING

Any silt dipping projects shall be accomplished from one side of the ditch only. The contractor may move to the other side, but shall not disturb both banks along the same portion of the ditch. The embankments and channel shall be repaired and all disturbed areas (except ditch bottom) shall be seeded and mulched.

IMPORTANT NOTES TO THE CONTRACTOR:

· If any of the work will damage crops, gardens, trees, or other property, the Contractor must notify the Vanderburgh County Surveyor quickly enough that the property owner can be notified no less than ten (10) days prior to the contemplated damage.

· The Contractor must notify the Surveyor or his designated representative PRIOR to the start of any work on an individual drain, ditch, or project.

· The Contractor must notify the Surveyor or his designated representative within twenty-four (24) hours of completion of work on an individual drain or ditch or by the next business day if work is completed on a holiday or during the weekend.

· Spray contractors shall notify Surveyor of impassable or very difficult areas of accessibility with a written description of the area and the legal drain.

**Bids are due March 22, 2005 – Tuesday – 12:00 noon**

YOU MAY HAND DELIVER THE BID ENVELOPE(S) OR MAIL IT TO THE AUDITOR; BUT EITHER WAY, IT MUST BE IN THE AUDITOR’S HANDS AND STAMPED “RECEIVED” NO LATER THAN 12:00 NOON CENTRAL STANDARD TIME, TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2005.

DATES FOR STARTING WORK AND COMPLETION DATES

Category of Work:	Earliest Start Date:	Must Be Completed By:
Annual or Regular Maintenance: Spraying	April 1 & prior to crop damage	June 30, 2005
Annual or Regular Maintenance: Mowing	Single Mow: August 31, 2005	Single Mow: October 31, 2005

Mowing – Late Spring	May 15, 2005	June 15, 2005
Mowing – Mid Summer	July 15, 2005	August 15, 2005
Mowing – Fall	September 15, 2005	October 15, 2005

Spraying – Broadleaf; Brush; Sterilization	April 1 & prior to crop damage	June 30, 2005

Spraying – Dormant	No sooner than harvest 2005	No later than March 15, 2006

Soil Disturbing – Requires seed & mulch	April 1, 2005	September 15, 2005

Dates subject to change with minimum 15 day notification to the Contractor by the Vanderburgh County Surveyor. Any dates that conflict with label directions need to be brought to the attention of the County Surveyor. This includes spraying, mowing, or other work.

Linear footage to be paid is as follows:

Ditch Name	Lin. Ft.
BAEHL	6,890
BARNETT DITCH	8,358
BARR’S CREEK	20,293
BUENTE UPPER BIG CREEK	20,195
CYPRESS DALE MADDOX*	19,887
EDMOND*	11,395
HELFRICH-HAPPE	12,698
HOEFLING	5,571
KAMP	11,160
KNEER	2,736
MAASBERG	2,206
MAIDLOW	18,671
POND FLAT LAT. A	5,311
POND FLAT LAT. B	2,797
POND FLAT LAT. D	4,579
POND FLAT MAIN	36,852
REXING CREEK	17,096
SINGER	2,450
WALLENMEYER	8,355

*Portions to be dormant sprayed subtracted.

**Bids are due March 22, 2005 – Tuesday – 12:00 noon**

These specifications may be accessed online at www.VanderburghSurveyor.com.

Baehl Ditch

GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS

DATES FOR STARTING WORK AND COMPLETION DATES