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Drain 27 Hero

Drain 27/Prairie Rose Flood Risk Reduction

During the 2009 and 2011 spring flood fights the City was required to install emergency flood fighting measures within the Prairie Rose and Mistwood Townhome neighborhoods. In order to reduce the reliance on temporary measures during future flood events, the City hired Houston Engineering in the summer of 2013 to assist in developing permanent flood control options in these areas.

Houston Engineering developed multiple options that were evaluated by the City. A multitude of factors were considered when deciding which projects should be evaluated further, with three options ultimately being identified for additional study.

These three options were presented at a neighborhood meeting on September 19, 2013. In addition to this meeting, the City completed a neighborhood walk-thru in order to further discuss these options with the property owners. After the walk-thru and the resulting comments, it was determined that further modifications to these three options would be needed.

The modified options were presented at a neighborhood meeting on November 4, 2013. All three options contained varying levels of property acquisition requirements, with 26 properties being identified as requiring removal regardless of which option would ultimately be selected. Thus, in November of 2013 City staff requested and received approval from the City Commission to move forward with the acquisition of these properties under the voluntary acquisition program.

The voluntary acquisition and removal of 22 of the 26 homes in Prairie Rose Addition was completed during the summer of 2014, and Houston Engineering was hired to design and administer the construction of permanent levees and storm sewer improvements in 2015.

Houston Engineering was also hired in 2014 to design and administer the construction of a portion of floodwall along the north side of 40th Avenue South near the 32nd Avenue South intersection. Multiple utility relocations and the reconstruction of 40th Avenue South were completed in 2014, while floodwall/levee construction and pedestrian pathways were completed by the fall of 2015.

July 24, 2018 Update

The final phase of the Prairie Rose levee improvements was completed in June of 2018. Turf establishment must still take place, but the project is substantially complete for flood protection purposes. This third and final phase completes the levee section through the Prairie Rose neighborhood with a connection to the floodwall along 40th Avenue South. During large flood events, the two gatewells along the north side of 39th Avenue South will be closed and temporary pumping will be necessary to pump any rainfall events which occur concurrently with high water levels in the Cass County Drain 27 conveyance system.

December 7, 2016 Update

The final portion of this project is dependent on two final property acquisitions. Once these properties have been acquired, the final levee can be constructed. Construction is anticipated to take place during the summer/fall of 2017.