About

The District is conducting a multi-phased flood risk study to better understand and characterize current flood potential as well as flood potential in future climate change. The study uses NOAA’s Atlas 14 rainfall estimates to inform flood risk modeling.

Background

One of the founding goals of the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District was to reduce flood risk throughout its urban landscape. Many of the District’s first projects focused on increasing flood storage to limit infrastructure and public safety impacts from flooding. In more recent years, District projects have primarily focused on water quality protection. However, with our changing climate and increases in the frequency and intensity of rainfall events, the Board of Managers has directed the District to renew its focus on flood risk mitigation.

The Watershed-wide Flood Study is split into several phases:

• Phase 1, completed in 2021, focused on updating the district’s stormwater models
• Phase 2, completed in 2022, had a series of goals:
  • Perform a watershed-wide flood risk assessment under current precipitation estimates and future climate change projections
  • Conduct a high-level risk analysis for potential pipe failures or clogging at creek crossings Develop a framework to evaluate flood mitigation projects
• Phase 3, currently underway, also has several goals:
  • Identify and evaluate flood risk reduction projects in the creek corridor
  • Plan for flooding issues within the watershed
  • Develop an approach for partnerships in future flood risk reduction projects
  • Develop a strategy to communicate flood risk information to the community

 

Following the completion Phase 3, the NMCWD Board of Managers will decide whether or not to choose one or more flood risk reduction projects identified in Phase 3 to further evaluate through a feasibility study.

Read the Watershed-wide Flood Risk and Resiliency: Phase 2 Report; check back in for Phase 3 updates.

 

Questions? Contact Erica Sniegowski, District Administrator, 952-358-2276.