FINDLAY, Ohio — The largest project in Blanchard River flood mitigation efforts has taken a huge step forward.
First proposed in 2017, the Eagle Creek flood basin is now fully funded.
It received $30 million in the latest Ohio state capital budget, bringing it to a total of $60 million, to build a large basin to store and slow flood water from Eagle Creek south of Findlay.
Local leaders say once the basin is complete, Findlay should never see another flood like it did in 2007.
"You picture what happening in downtown Findlay, the devastation, and essentially in that scenario with everything put together, Main Street Would be dry," Tim Mayle, director of Findlay-Hancock County Economic Development, said.
Once complete and combined with the two phases of riverbank benching and future improvements to the Norfolk Southern rail crossing downtown will lower the 100-year flood level by 3 feet.
"People are going to really start noticing the difference in our community, and it'll be great," Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn said. "Once we start doing our map revisions and people aren't having to worry about flooding at their homes with storm events it's going to make a huge impact."
"To not have to worry about flooding every time it rains and have some peace of mind, and also from a pure economic standpoint, it opens up a lot of areas in our community north of the river that we've never had the opportunity to develop in the past," Mayle said.
But it won't only be benefiting Findlay; the basin will also keep flood water from bogging down farm fields south of Findlay as well.
"There will be thousands of acres put back into productive farmland that were repeat flood [areas.] There will be thousands of parcels that were paying flooding insurance across the community that will come out of the 100-year floodplain," Mayle said.
Muryn says the city will have to wait to work with FEMA on remapping the floodplain in Findlay until the construction of that new basin begins, which is slated for 2024.