{"id":16360,"date":"2021-05-28t13:13:01","date_gmt":"2021-05-28t18:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.dicovercards.com\/?post_type=snyder-projects&p=16360"},"modified":"2023-07-10t14:28:50","modified_gmt":"2023-07-10t19:28:50","slug":"watershed-improvements-mitigate-flooding-across-closes-creek","status":"publish","type":"snyder-projects","link":"\/\/www.dicovercards.com\/projects\/watershed-improvements-mitigate-flooding-across-closes-creek\/","title":{"rendered":"watershed improvements mitigate flooding across closes creek"},"content":{"rendered":"
when a\u00a02018 summer storm dumped nearly nine inches of rain in less than four hours in the des moines metro area, more than 1,000 homes experienced some level of flooding.<\/a>\u00a0in the aftermath, the city\u2019s aging and deficient\u00a0stormwater infrastructure<\/a> were once again in the spotlight, particularly in the city\u2019s historic beaverdale neighborhood. in an effort to mitigate future flooding issues, the city of des moines implemented four long-term stormwater improvement plans for areas with previously inadequate drainage \u2014 one of those being the closes creek watershed.<\/p>\n repeated flooding\u00a0events across this watershed have steadily increased throughout the years, with recurrent property damage upsetting homeowners. this issue can mainly be attributed to the\u00a0undersized and aging stormwater conveyance system which features outdated technologies such as brick, limestone, and timber culverts. snyder & associates was initially brought on board to provide\u00a0survey and modeling services for the initial portion of the project and was eventually awarded the overall project design that encompassed determining the best course of action to repair and replace the antiquated infrastructure<\/a>.<\/p>\n gaining a full understanding of the current stormwater systems\u00a0in place was the first step in making improvements. to get a comprehensive view, our team utilized multiple study techniques, including field surveys,\u00a0aerial topography<\/a>, and structural investigations<\/a>. this data was then used to develop a plan outlining design alternatives to\u00a0alleviate frequent flooding\u00a0throughout the entire watershed.<\/p>\n once topographic and survey data were collected, our team analyzed the watershed\u2019s hydrologic and hydraulic characteristics through modeling. to produce realistic flood elevations within streets and between homes, local stormwater facilities such as storm sewers, reservoirs, culverts, as well as overland and bypass flow routes were included in the model. this simulation proved invaluable when calibrating to known flood events and preparing detailed cost-effective plans and priority measures.<\/p>\nreal-life modeling leads to right-sized solutions<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n