A dozen homeowners near Gretna are angry over a muddy river in their backyard. It's the work of three muddy rainstorms this year.

The homeowners in Crystal Creek say it's clear to them what and who's to blame.

Sean Heisler says, "It didn't happen before construction on the road started. We're thinking the state is at fault here or has some responsibility."

Homeowners say the state is at least partially responsible for flooding in backyards because a new large culvert part of the Highway 31 project is flushing more rainwater their way.

But the district engineer says a culvert, nine feet in diameter, is required to get runoff from one side of the road to the other.

Engineer Tim Weander says, "It's not the culvert's fault. It's the rain events that's occurred. That amount of water is still going to go from that side to this side."

The district engineer says the developer moved the creek over and during heavy rain the water goes back to its natural path through the backyards.

Homeowner Teri Earl says, "I'm not sure if it's the state's fault the developer's fault or whose fault it is but everyone needs to work together to fix the problem because we have serious backyard flooding."

The neighborhood has growing families.

Jason Kassmeier says, "When it rains like that and you have a 50-foot river going through your backyard that's two foot deep -- it's nothing any parent wants for its kid."

The tree-lined area at their backs attracted homeowners to Crystal Creek but no one expected or wanted the water.

The developer, Paul McCune, also says the creek has filled with more silt since the highway project began. Although he blames the state, he has hired an engineer to find a solution.