Rain, Rain, Flow Away

Spring can be the most frustrating season outdoors. Aside from really testing the theory of “no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothes,” it has a way of putting what we want out of sync with what we have. The temperature might be perfect, but there’s rain. If there’s no rain, it’s cold and windy. When it’s sunny, the ground is saturated and the rivers are high and muddy. Some years the cycle seems to repeat over and over until June. If you’re looking for an excuse not do something, you’re in luck. But then there’s always a couple of days when everything is just right. Take advantage of those, but go outside whenever you have the chance. 

Ready for the Worst

While weather patterns across the country seem altered recently, thanks to the community response to the devastation of the Dayton flood of 1913, local worries about the massive flooding on that scale are tempered. From March 23rd to March 26th of that year, 8-12 inches of rain fell on Southwest Ohio ground that couldn’t absorb any more. The Great Miami River came out of its banks, destroying levees, and rising to 20 feet above normal in downtown Dayton. When the water receded, more than 360 people were left dead and scores of buildings and property destroyed. Almost immediately, engineer Arthur Morgan was hired by local leaders to design a regional flood protection system. His design won awards, and more importantly, protects the area. Records of top events show that even the biggest flows barely test the capacity of the systems in place. The Taylorsville Dam for example, has only been pushed past 10% of its capacity once since it was created. 

https://www.mcdwater.org/flood-protection/taylorsville-dam 

Read the complete column here: Rainy Season Is Here, You're Protected in Dayton

If you’re interested in learning more about the largest drainage in our area and what’s happening, the Five Rivers Metro Park is hosting an EcoTalk series that will address Fisheries and Wetland Research on March 10th. 

EcoTalk: Fisheries and Wetland Research

Mar. 10 6:00pm - 7:30pm

AGE: 12 and up | FREE

River and Floodplain Restorations in the Great Miami River Watershed

by Donnie Knight, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program

Fish Management and Research in Southwest Ohio

By Mike Porto, Fisheries Biologist, ODNR - Division of Wildlife

https://www.metroparks.org/programs-events-finder/?program_number=V212&api=programs&type=program 

Resources

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jun/16/texas-flooding-houston-climate-change-disaster?CMP=share_btn_tw 

https://www.mcdwater.org/blog/history/exploregreatfloodhistory

https://www.mcdwater.org/flood-protection/englewood-dam 

https://www.mcdwater.org/maps/taylorsville-metropark