The Brandywine Conservancy launches a flood survey to examine flooding along the Brandywine River and how to protect surrounding communities.
The Conservancy is partnering with the Chester County Water Resources Authority and the University of Delaware Water Resources Center on the Brandywine Flood Study, funded, in part, through grants from Chester County Government and Delaware County Council.
“The study will evaluate the Brandywine Creek’s flow regimes during intense storm events, along with the scale and impact of future subsequent flooding so that we can best identify options for reducing flood impacts to improve public safety and lessen property damage,” says Conservancy Community Services Director Grant DeCosta.
The study comes nearly two years after flooding caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ida devastated the region. DeCosta says it caused over $100 million in damages to regional public infrastructure - and some people in Northeast Wilmington are still not back in their homes.
But the Director of UD's Water Resources Center Jerry Kaufmann says this study can help find ways to mitigate the impact of future flooding.
“It’s going to take some patience, and years of investment to really remove people from the floodplain and really get their lives back to normal.”
Flooding data and other relevant information will be evaluated to develop models of how flooding affects the study area. Those models and site assessments will help identify problems and develop recommendations to mitigate future flooding.
“The good news is that the Brandywine, pound for pound, is probably one of the best sensored watersheds in the nation," Kauffman says. "So we have the tools. We have the stream gauges, we have the precipitation stations, we have the science to address the problem, that is why I’m hopeful.”
The study is expected to be completed by June 2024. A series of public workshops will be held during key stages of the flood study process to engage with impacted communities and gather feedback.
