HANCOCK COUNTY, Ohio — Progress is being made, when it comes to lowering the Blanchard River flood levels.
After the engineering firm Stantec took over the flood mitigation plans for the Blanchard River, two options became Hancock County's focus.
Benching along the riverbank within Findlay city limits and building a large overflow basin near Eagle Creek.
Now, the Maumee Watershed Conservancy District has voted to begin purchasing the property for that basin.
Currently, 417 acres south of Findlay near US-68 have been purchased.
Now with the property in hand, engineers can finalize the design here.
"Then there's the question of how much land do you buy, versus going deeper, and do you use pumps. Those are to be determined, and it comes down to cost benefit, how much we can reduce the base flood elevation for a 100-year storm," said Tim Mayle, board member with Blanchard River Watershed Solutions.
In total, the basin construction will be estimated as a $60 million project.
It will hold the majority of the flood waters that roll off of Eagle Creek, lessening the impact during a 100-year flood in Findlay.
This, combined with the nearly completed benching along the riverbank, is expected to lower that 100-year flood level by 3 1/2 feet once completed, potentially in 2022.
"One is to get the water through downtown at the pinch points, and that would be everything downtown. And the basin is to hold the waters back during a flood scenario to lower the peak of the flood," said Mayle.
Additional studies and planning will be done over the next few months, and then the official basin proposal will be brought before the conservancy district panel of judges in May.