Eagle Creek Dry Storage Basin

The Eagle Creek Flood Basin is a flood-risk reduction project designed to have storage capacity for excess flows from the 1% Annual Chance Exceedance (ACE) (100-year) storm event on Eagle Creek and to safely pass flood events of greater magnitude. The basin will remain dry during normal flows (up to approximately 650 cubic feet per second (CFS) along Eagle Creek) and will begin to store floodwaters during larger rain events. The purpose of the project is to reduce the peak flow rate in Eagle Creek and the Blanchard River during these large storm events, thereby reducing the downstream water surface elevations and associated flood risk. The primary project goals include the following:

• Reduce water surface elevations during flooding events along Eagle Creek and the      Blanchard River; and
• Reduce flood risk to mitigate potential structural, social, and environmental damages.

A secondary project goal is to improve water quality by creating wetlands, native habitats, and riparian corridors within the inundation area. A tertiary goal is to provide passive recreation opportunities on the project site.

The project site is located in Eagle Township in Hancock County, Ohio, approximately four miles south of the City of Findlay downtown area.

The primary flood risk reduction element for the project is an earthen embankment dam forming an in-line, dry-storage basin. Other primary components consist of a principal spillway, an auxiliary spillway, exterior drainage features, and interior drainage improvements and land use design. The dam alignment and proposed dry basin footprint is bound by Township Road 76 to the west and US-68 to the east. To the north, the basin is formed by an embankment parallel to and approximately 4,000 feet to the north of Township Road 49. The impoundment is bound by high ground to the south, approximately 1,750 feet north of County Road 45. The impoundment area of the basin within the dam alignment will be approximately 765 acres.

The Eagle Creek Flood Basin project has received grants totaling $60 million through the State of Ohio Capital Budget. FEMA funds are being pursued to complete the funding. If a FEMA grant is awarded, the project may begin construction near the end of 2025, once FEMA’s project review and environmental assessments are complete.

After construction of the Basin is complete, the underlying property will be transferred from the Maumee Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD) to the City of Findlay. The City will be charged with maintaining all components of the Basin with periodic inspections by the MWCD and the ODNR Dam Safety section.

The estimated annual maintenance cost for the planned facility is approximately $100,000 to $150,000.

To date, the project has progressed through Final Design. Property acquisition within the project footprint is complete, and stakeholders are in the process of obtaining necessary easements and permits before moving to the construction phase. The project has obtained a construction permit through the ODNR Division of Water Resources Dam Safety Program. Construction duration will be approximately 18 to 24 months.

Model results show that the Eagle Creek Dry Storage Basin project will result in a peak flow reduction of about 2,550 CFS (16% decrease) on the Blanchard River during the 1% ACE event. This reduction in peak flow will translate to about 2.2 feet of lowering of the base flood elevations near the confluence of the Blanchard River with Eagle Creek in downtown Findlay.  The reduction in water surface elevations along Eagle Creek and the Blanchard River is estimated to remove approximately 1,830 parcels and 1,400 acres from the regulatory floodplain. 

Eagle Creek Conceptual Design

Hancock County Flood Risk Reduction Program – Eagle Creek Dry-Storage Basin –  Benefit-Cost Analysis (Stand-alone Eagle Creek BCR) | 04/06/2020 

Eagle Creek Final Design

100% Plans | 04/08/2022 

Cultural Resources

Eagle Creek Redacted Phase II Archaeological Evaluation | 04/01/2022