“This project is critical in helping identify necessary and impactful maintenance and system improvements for the city to better protect residents and properties from the impacts of flooding and soil erosion,” he said.
The goal of the study is to compile a comprehensive list of stormwater needs across the entire city, prioritize identified improvements, and provide estimated costs for each, the city said. This will allow the city to allocate funds to the highest priority projects in the short term, and support long-term planning for future management. The last Beavercreek stormwater study was done in 1983.
Flooding events that impact homes are rare in Beavercreek, but there are a few areas where this remains a potential issue. The more common concern is erosion in waterways, with several locations in the city showing severely eroded channel banks in need of maintenance. Other challenges include standing water and poor neighborhood drainage, which can affect homeowners’ yards.
Woolpert will be paid $250,000, fully through federal ARPA funds.
Under the contract, Woolpert will develop a model of the city using the Hydrologic Engineering Center’s River Analysis System, developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is a simulation software used to model the hydraulics of water flow through natural rivers and channels.
“In combination with information gathered during our field efforts, we will catalog channel maintenance and erosion points, often reported by residents, to inventory the city’s drainage network,” DiCesare said. “This information will then be utilized to develop a HEC-RAS model, enabling us to identify potential solutions to the city’s flooding and erosion problems by delivering a detailed, phased implementation plan.”
The contract is expected to be completed in May 2025.
Stormwater projects make up a large part of Beavercreek’s infrastructure backlog. The city does not currently have a dedicated funding source for stormwater, and the city dedicated a large part of its one-time American Rescue Plan Act funds to projects of this type.
The lion’s share of Beavercreek’s ARPA dollars went to stormwater projects along Willowcrest Road and Vineland Trail.
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