Dayton, OH — In a significant test of the region's flood preparedness, the Miami Conservancy District in collaboration with Five Rivers MetroParks installed a 200-foot-long temporary floodwall at RiverScape MetroPark on Tuesday morning. The exercise, conducted under clear skies, provided a real-world test of the equipment and expertise needed to safeguard the community in case of a major flood.
“When RiverScape was developed, a portion of the levee was intentionally removed to integrate the park with the river,” explains Ben Casper, Miami Conservancy District field operations manager. “This temporary floodwall is designed to be deployed quickly, should the river rise to levels that threaten downtown Dayton. Today’s exercise is about keeping our teams prepared and ensuring that we can respond effectively if ever needed.”
The process was a carefully coordinated effort involving the removal of caps from the plaza floor to allow for the installation of steel posts, followed by using a crane to position heavy aluminum stoplogs in place. The resulting floodwall stands about 3 to 4 feet tall, stretching across 160 feet to protect the plaza. Additionally, a second, smaller 30-foot-wide section was erected west of the main floodwall to ensure full coverage of the vulnerable areas.
Though the floodwall is rarely required, its presence underscores the Miami Conservancy District commitment to flood prevention. “While it's unlikely that we’ll ever need to deploy the wall,” says Casper, “it’s crucial that we stay prepared. The last time the region experienced flooding that could potentially warrant such action was during the Great Flood of 1913, which saw between 9 and 11 inches of rainfall over a 72-hour period across the entire 4,000-square-mile watershed.”
This exercise not only demonstrates the technical expertise of the Miami Conservancy District team but also serves as a reminder of the importance of ongoing maintenance and readiness to protect Dayton and surrounding areas from the threat of flooding.
