A map from the Hancock County Flood-Risk Reduction Program website details the location of the completed U.S. 68 and State Route 15 roundabout project, and the future location of the Eagle Creek Dry Storage Basin.
Flood Mitigation Efforts Mark Significant Gains in 2024
Community Awaits Final FEMA Approval for $24 million Flood Mitigation Assistance Grant
Since the devasting flood of 2007, local officials have remained focused on a multi-dimensional, complex obstacle – curbing the danger of flooding in Findlay.
The simple goal is to lower water levels during high water events. More specifically, the complex plans underway will dramatically reduce flooding: During a 100-year storm event, water levels will decrease by three feet in Downtown Findlay, and more than 2,000 parcels of land will be removed from the flood plain. With significant pieces of the puzzle coming together in 2024, 2025 could be a banner year.
“This has been a year of exceptional progress toward flood mitigation,” said Chris Keller, executive director of Findlay·Hancock County Economic Development. “A reduction in flooding will mean more security for businesses and families and will have a tremendous economic impact. We are thankful for the work of those who have labored for years to make this happen.”
Four main parts of the project will come together to influence the full reduction in flooding – the Eagle Creek Dry Storage Basin (including the redesign of the U.S. 68 and State Route 15 interchange), the Norfolk Southern Bridge, and Phases I and II of Hydraulic Improvements (Benching). Here is an update on flood mitigation efforts through the Hancock County Flood Reduction Program by Hancock County, City of Findlay and the Maumee Watershed Conservancy District, and supported by Findlay·Hancock County Economic Development:
- FEMA funding request – The City’s application for a Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) grant has been conditionally approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) pending a review by FEMA of compliance. If formally approved, the FMA grant will provide $19 million for construction of the Eagle Creek Flood Basin and $5 million for Additional Benching between Cory Street and the Martin Luther King Bridge. Formal approval of the grant is anticipated by the summer of 2025.
- Eagle Creek Dry Storage Basin – The Basin – to be located immediately south of Findlay – will store flood water during larger rain events but remain dry during normal flow of Eagle Creek. In 2024, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources issued the formal permit for construction of the Basin embankment and spillway structure. Funding will be provided by the FMA grant ($19 million), if approved, and $25 million that remains from an original $60 million grant provided by the State of Ohio. Also in 2024, all required land for the Basin was purchased or is under contract to purchase by the Maumee Watershed Conservancy District.
A rendering of the Eagle Creek Dry Storage Basin.
- S. Route 68 and State Route 15 interchange – The roundabout project – started this summer – is complete and opened to traffic on Nov. 4. The connection of Township Road 80 into the interchange was necessary due to the proposed removal of Township Roads 49 and 77 as part of the Eagle Creek Flood Basin project. The $2.56 million project was funded by a Federal grant administered by the Ohio Department of Transportation and a 20 percent local share provided by the City of Findlay.
- Norfolk Southern (NS) bridge – The current bridge, built in the early 1900s, crosses the Blanchard River west of Cory Street and its abutments restrict waterflow when the river level rises. Efforts continue to formally secure a portion of the funding for the $16.7 million project, which, when completed, will allow for continued benching of the Blanchard River. The bridge will be widened from 150 feet to 300 feet, allowing the river to flow freely during a flooding event.
- Benching (Hydraulic Improvements) – The original benching project of the Blanchard River (Phase I) – between Howard Run and the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge – was completed in 2024. With the completion of Phase I benching, project engineering firm, Stantec, is preparing a proposal to the City that will create a Letter of Map Revision for submittal to FEMA to identify properties that can be removed from the regulated flood plain as a result of the lower risk of flooding provided by the project. Phase II Hydraulic Improvements (benching) will be made after the NS Bridge is reconstructed.
