UPDATE: A swale ditch has been formed in a drainage ditch recently filled in by a property owner in Prairieville. Ascension Parish says the flow lines are about a foot lower than the surrounding properties, which should help restore proper drainage. The landowner has been working with Ascension Parish Planing and Permitting department.

PRAIRIEVILLE - Several neighbors are upset after the drainage ditch behind their homes was filled in with dirt by a property owner behind them. They tell 2 On Your Side the work was done over the weekend.

George Weaver says he came home from church Sunday to find all kinds of activity behind his home.

"I come home from church and they got piles of dirt in the ditch," said Weaver.

He tried to stop the crew from dumping dirt and leveling it out in the ditch, but the work continued.

"Next thing I know, he says it's his property and he can do anything he wants. I didn't think he owned the ditch; the parish owned the ditch," said Weaver.

Weaver moved into his home on Misty Oak Court in 2006. Weaver says he thought the ditch that ran behind his home was in the servitude. Now, that question is up in the air. Weaver says he spoke to his neighbor last week about their plan for property improvements.

"Clean the ditch out and put a fence up, that's what he told me," said Weaver.

What Weaver wasn't expecting was that the ditch would be filled in with dirt. A few houses east of Weaver's the ditch remains open, but it has been dug out. Water appears to be sitting in the ditch on Tuesday. Weaver feels at risk and worried about what might happen when it rains.

"Any water gets in my house, that's a problem, that's an issue," said Weaver.

Weaver and his neighbors say they don't want to spend another day worried about a storm that might bring enough water to do that.

"I don't want to experience that, I don't want to be out here watching the back, I've never had to get sandbags before," he said.

The property owner's father, David Boudreaux, says the ditch is part of the four acres his son owns and it is not parish property. They do intend to put up a fence.

Ascension Parish Right-of-Way Agent Phil Savoy met property owners Tuesday to look at the project. He worked directly with the property owner on the swale solution.