40. Community Need Southwest Ohio is protected from destructive floodwaters by MCD’s integrated flood prevention system that spans seven counties and impacts more than 100 miles of communities along the Great Miami River and tributaries. This innovative and influential example of a watershed-based regional government works collaboratively across political boundaries. The flood protection system is critical to the viability, quality of life, and growth of the region.

Cities along the Great Miami River in southwest Ohio rely on the Miami Conservancy District’s (MCD) flood protection system to safeguard residents, property, infrastructure, and quality of life from dangerous and destructive river flooding. MCD’s integrated flood protection system including five dams, 55 miles of levees, channel, and preserved floodplain, have protected cities along the Great Miami River for over 100 years. However, time and weather conditions have taken a toll on all MCD’s infrastructure including the three dams that are a focus of this proposal.

Dam failure could result in the flooding of tens of thousands of acres and destroy homes, businesses, hospitals, road, and bridge infrastructure, and more. Flood protection is vital to the region and the dams must safely store floodwater without fail. The rehabilitation actions of this project are critical, time-sensitive, and required. Inspections by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources on Germantown (2021), Englewood (2019), and Taylorsville (2019) Dams highlighted urgent repairs required on the concrete at the principal spillways, which includes both the up- and downstream walls, of all three dams. This project will address the deterioration on the upstream walls of these three dams, and work on the downstream walls (as well as work on MCD’s remaining two dams) will follow as soon as possible. All of ODNR’s reports noted that “the appropriate time period for completion has already been exceeded” and that “the owner must complete these items immediately.”

MCD has pursued other funding sources for these repairs over the years, including a low-interest loan secured through the Ohio Water Development Authority for addressing degradation on MCD’s Lockington Dam; however, success has been limited. The few state and federal funding sources available for flood protection are primarily awarded to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for projects repairing neglected or failing infrastructure. Since MCD has continually properly maintained and cared for its world-class flood protection system over the last 100 years, access to state and federal funding has not been available. Instead, MCD continues to rely on local funds, as it did to design and build the system. MCD is a proven exemplary steward of public funds. After more than 100 years of unfailing flood protection, major capital investments in the MCD dams and levees are required. The cost of the needed improvements is estimated to exceed $150 million. Relying solely on local funds to fund this investment will place too large a burden on local ratepayers, so MCD is pursuing alternative funding sources to back this phase of its capital investment plan.