Green No. 4 Consolidated Drain

The Green #4 Consolidated Drain is located in Holt, Michigan, Ingham County. Established in 2011, it consolidated seven different drains constructed over 117 years, prompted by a petition to improve the drainage facilities. The 196-acre district, predominantly residential with some commercial areas, consists of approximately 470 parcels.

In response to repetitive flooding, especially the significant July 2011 event causing widespread damage, residents and Township officials petitioned to consolidate the Green #4 Drain and its branches. The resulting system-wide improvements included incorporating green infrastructure, such as swales, 122 infiltrating Rain Lawns, and a linear bioretention basin. This low-impact drainage system diverted drainage from a quarter of the district's land to an adjoining system, relieving bottlenecks in the main drain.

Spicer Group, hired by the Ingham County Drain Commissioner, provided professional engineering services for this project. The 8.1-mile-long Green #4 Consolidated Drain is now one of the largest low-impact-based urban-retrofit drain projects with a relief drain system built under the Drain Code.