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Posted: November 6, 2017

Two MCD dams storing floodwaters

Germantown and Englewood dams are storing floodwaters that could otherwise flood downstream communities. Storage at the dams begins when the water rises above the conduits (concrete outlets) at the dams.

Floodwater storage at the dams as of 12:30 p.m. today:

Germantown Dam: 38.73 feet (storage begins at 12 feet)

Englewood Dam: 19.31 feet (storage begins at 11.5 feet)

MCD staff closed floodgates in West Carrollton, Miamisburg, Franklin, Middletown and Hamilton. Floodgates on storm sewers allow water to run off city streets into the river. As the river rises, however, MCD closes the gates to prevent the river from flowing back into the storm sewer system and potentially flooding areas protected by a levee.

Between 1.2 and 3.9 inches of rain fell across the Great Miami River Watershed between 8 a.m. Sunday and 8 a.m. Monday.

The MCD flood protection system is designed to protect to the 1913 flood level plus 40 percent. During the Great Flood of 1913, the region received between 9 and 11 inches of rain between March 23 and 25.

The MCD retarding basins behind the flood-protection dams collectively have stored floodwaters nearly 1,900 times, protecting communities along the Great Miami River – from Piqua to Hamilton. MCD completed the integrated system of five dry dams, 55 miles of levee and thousands of acres of preserved floodplain in 1922. When not storing floodwaters, the land behind the dams is used as parkland and farmland.