Rapid River empties into Torch River, which then empties into Skegemog and Elk lakes before flowing into the bay. The county also contains about 120 road crossings over rivers and creeks, and about 60 of them need to be improved, LaRowe said. It's not an easy or cheap undertaking. The project widened the culvert to the natural width of the river. That way, the river can flow unobstructed under the road, which prevents it from speeding up the water.
Wider culverts prevent the river from backing up, which in turn increases the velocity of the water.
When the flow speeds up, it can dig the river bottom, causing further erosion. In that project, the county paved a section of Day Road over the Rapid River to prevent sand, gravel and dirt from washing into the river from the gravel road. That project also involved widening the culvert. LaRowe said that he could see some of the improvements at the sites in that gravel is now starting to appear at the bottoms of the rivers within a couple years of their completion. He said it will take longer for the improvements to show up closer to the bay.