Two Projects Crucial To Flood Mitigation Efforts To Proceed
(From the City of Findlay)
The City of Findlay in partnership with the Hancock County Commissioners and Maumee Watershed Conservancy District announced today that it has received notification of funds obligation on the FEMA Flood Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant, clearing a major milestone that allows the community to proceed with bidding two cornerstone flood-risk reduction projects this summer: Downtown Phase 2 Benching (Additional Hydraulic Improvements) and the Eagle Creek Dry Storage Basin, a 765 acre above ground dry basin. (pictured above is a rendering showing how the spillway would function to meter flow back into Eagle Creek)
“These projects have been years, really decades, in the making,” said Mayor Christina Muryn. “Our community has experienced repeated flooding since the 1990s, and we’ve stayed relentlessly focused on long-term solutions. Receiving the signed FEMA grant is a pivotal step that moves us from planning and review to real, on-the-ground progress.”
“This milestone reflects years of collaboration and persistence by the City, the County, and our regional partners,” said Hancock County Commissioner Bill Bateson. “Flooding doesn’t respect jurisdictional boundaries, and these projects show what’s possible when we work together on long-term solutions that protect residents, strengthen our economy, and reduce risk across the entire watershed.”
Projects that deliver measurable flood-risk reduction
Together with Phase I Benching / Hydraulic Improvements already completed and the Norfolk Southern Railroad Bridge Expansion, which is expected to begin this year, the upcoming work is designed to reduce flood elevations during major storm events and help protect homes, businesses, and public infrastructure.
Downtown Phase 2 Benching (Additional Hydraulic Improvements) will focus on the north side of the Blanchard River through downtown, including widening the floodplain bench between North Cory Street and the CSX Railroad, demolition of the existing pedestrian bridge, and installation of two in-river riffles. Modeling anticipates measurable reductions in water surface elevations—up to 0.3 feet at Main Street during a 100-year storm—with additional benefits during smaller, more frequent events.
Eagle Creek Dry Storage Basin is designed to store excess flows from a 1% annual chance (100-year) storm event, remaining dry during normal conditions and beginning to store floodwater during larger rain events. The basin’s impoundment area is expected to be approximately 765 acres, and modeling indicates it could reduce peak flow on the Blanchard River by about 2,550 CFS (a 16% decrease) during a 100-year event—translating to about 2.2 additional feet of lowering of base flood elevations near the Blanchard/Eagle Creek confluence in downtown Findlay.
Long road to reach this point—built on partnership
The Hancock County Flood Risk Reduction Program formalized in 2016, when the Hancock County Commissioners and the Maumee Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) signed a memorandum of agreement authorizing MWCD to identify flood-risk reduction opportunities. Since 2007, the City and County have also completed the acquisition and demolition of 167 flood-prone properties as part of the broader strategy.
Progress has included Phase I Hydraulic Improvements (benching near Swale Park, low-head dam removals, and riffle construction), and submission of a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) following Phase I completion—identifying 1,080 parcels proposed for complete removal from FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Area and approximately 1,500 parcels with reduced 100-year flood elevations.
Community-wide benefits
With this next phase moving forward, the City emphasized the broader community impact:
- Lower flood risk for residents, neighborhoods, businesses, and critical infrastructure
- Potential flood insurance relief for properties removed from or improved within mapped flood zones (subject to FEMA determinations and lender requirements)
- Environmental and quality-of-life co-benefits, including opportunities for wetlands, habitat, riparian corridors, and passive recreation associated with the Eagle Creek Basin design goals
- As has been previously outlined, the full set of major flood mitigation projects targets a reduction of up to three feet in a 100-year flood event in downtown Findlay, with over 2,000 parcels expected to be removed from the floodplain as the remaining projects are completed.
Thanks to partners and state leadership
The City of Findlay expressed appreciation for the sustained collaboration required to reach this milestone, including partnership with the Hancock County Commissioners, Maumee Watershed Conservancy District, and the Blanchard River Watershed Partnership, as well as the many technical teams, specifically Stantec, and agency partners who supported years of engineering, environmental review, and grant coordination.
Mayor Muryn and Commissioner Bateson also thanked state leaders for their long-term support of Hancock County flood mitigation efforts, including Governor Mike DeWine, former Lt. Governor Jon Husted, Hancock Counties Congressional Delegation past and present including Congressman Bob Latta, Senator Bernie Moreno and Jon Husted, as well as former Senator Sherrod Brown, current State Representative Ty Mathews, current Senator Rob McColley, former State Representative and current State Treasurer Robert Sprague, former State Representative Jon Cross, and former Mayor Lydia Mihalik who currently serves as the Director of the Ohio Department of Development. Mayor Muryn also wishes to give a special thank you to FEMA External Affairs Administrator Victoria Barton, Ohio EMA Mitigation Branch staff Steve Ferryman and Jacob Hoover, and the staff members of Senator Moreno, Senator Husted, and Congressman Latta’s Offices for their diligent support in getting this grant agreement executed.
What’s next
The City will move forward with bid advertisements this summer for:
- Downtown Phase 2 Benching / Additional Hydraulic Improvements, and
- Eagle Creek Dry Storage Basin
- Additional details—including bid timelines and future construction coordination—will be shared as they are finalized.
For background on the Hancock County Flood Risk Reduction Program and project updates, visit hancockcountyflooding.com.
