Work to improve flooding along Pierson drain continues.
The Pierson Drain Improvement Project
This multi-year project runs from Lake Ave. to the Maumee River and is aimed at protecting homes and businesses by reducing the floodplain limits along the Pierson Drain upstream of Lake Avenue and ultimately protecting homes.
The project will build new culverts, adjust the stream alignment and create a wetland where the former Lakeside Golf Course was.
Funding this project
The Great Lakes Sediment & Nutrient Reduction Program (GLSNRP*) has provided a grant to City Utilities to help install 400′ two-stage ditches which will ease flooding in the affected areas.
The National Fish Passage Program (NFPP**) has provided funding to replace culverts at Lake Avenue and River Greenway Trail and a 410′ two-stage ditch downstream of Lake Avenue.
*GLSNRP provides grants to local and state units of government and nonprofit organizations to install erosion and sediment control practices in the Great Lakes Basin.
**NFPP provides financial and technical assistance for projects that improve the ability of fish and other aquatic species to migrate by reconnecting habitat that has been fragmented by a barrier like a dam or culvert.
Culvert: A short, underground pipe or arched tunnel that allows water to flow beneath a road or railway.
Two-Stage Ditch: A drainage channel with a natural base flow that help reduce flooding and improve water quality.
Phase 2
Construction of Phase 2 of the Pierson Drain Improvement Project will begin in October 2024.
Phase 2 involves the installation of new culverts at Lake Avenue just east of Reed Road and at the Rivergreenway adjacent to the Maumee River, along with stream improvements to Pierson Drain between Old Maysville Rd. and Lake Ave.
FAQs:
Q. Will the floodplain limits change at my property?
A. One of the main goals of this project is to reduce the number of structures within the floodplain limits of the Pierson Drain. The floodplain limits will be reduced along the Pierson Drain from Lake Ave. to Monarch Dr. The floodplain along the Pierson Drain downstream of Lake Ave will remain approximately the same as the existing limits.
At the completion of the project, the City of Fort Wayne will complete a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) in addition to a Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA). These letters will provide for a more accurate representation of the floodplain limits along the Pierson Drain. It is the City’s goal to reduce the extents of the floodplain within the residential areas.
A Letter of Map Revision is FEMA’s modification to an effective Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM), or Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM), or both. Letter of Map Revisions are generally based on the implementation of physical measures that affect the hydrologic or hydraulic characteristics of a flooding source and thus result in the modification of the existing regulatory floodway, the effective Base Flood Elevations (BFEs), or the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). The LOMR officially revises the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) or Flood Boundary and Floodway Map (FBFM), and sometimes the Flood Insurance Study (FIS) report, and when appropriate, includes a description of the modifications.
The LOMR is generally accompanied by an annotated copy of the affected portions of the FIRM, FBFM, or FIS report. All requests for changes to effective maps, other than those initiated by FEMA, must be made in writing by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the community or an official designated by the CEO. Because a LOMR officially revises the effective NFIP map, it is a public record that the community must maintain.
A Letter of Map Amendment (LOMA) is an official amendment, by letter, to an effective National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) map. A LOMA establishes a property’s location in relation to the Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). LOMAs are usually issued because a property has been inadvertently mapped as being in the floodplain, but is actually on natural high ground above the base flood elevation. Because a LOMA officially amends the effective NFIP map, it is a public record that the community must maintain. Any LOMA should be noted on the community’s master flood map and filed by panel number in an accessible location.
Q. Will I still be required to carry flood insurance?
A. The issuance of a LOMA or LOMR eliminates the federal flood insurance purchase requirement as a condition of federal or federally backed financing; however, the mortgage lender retains the prerogative to require flood insurance as a condition of providing financing, regardless of the location of a structure.
The purchase of a flood insurance policy is wise even if a structure is located outside the SFHA. More than 25 percent of flood claims are made by property owners located outside the SFHA. The issuance of a LOMA or LOMR-F does not mean the structure or lot is safe from all flooding; it means that the risk of flooding is not as high as it is in the SFHA. Events greater than the one-percent-annual-chance event can and do occur. It is also important to note that the flood insurance premium rate for structures located outside the SFHA are lower than the premiums for structures located in the SFHA.
Q. If my property is within the construction limits of the project, how will my property be affected?
A. It is encouraged that property owners within the project limits attend the Public Meetings to gain a better understanding of the scope of work on each individual property.
The Contractor will be required to stay within the construction limits of the project during all phases of the project. At the completion of the project, all disturbed lawn areas will be fine graded and seeded with appropriate erosion control measures. Any disturbed driveways will be restored to the existing material (i.e. asphalt, concrete or gravel).
Q. What are the long-term plans for the former Lakeside Golf Course?
A. The long-term plans for the former Lakeside Golf Course include conversion of the golf course into a native wetland and riparian habitat. The site will be regraded and planted with native vegetation including trees. Trails and educational signage will loop through the site and connect to the River Greenway trail. Conceptual exhibits can be found on the website.
