A longstanding flooding problem along Chillicothe Road will be resolved with a project planned to begin this spring.
A longstanding flooding problem along Chillicothe Road will be resolved with a project planned to begin this spring.
More than 30 South Russell Village residents and interested parties observed a special virtual council meeting Feb. 1 to learn more about the Manor Brook Headwater Stream Restoration project.
The stream runs from the east side of Chillicothe Road through a culvert to the west side, then flows south under Manor Brook Drive.
It runs into several other creeks where flooding also occurs, said Eric Haibach, of Cleveland-based CT Consultants Inc.
South Russell Mayor William Koons said the $276,000 Ohio Environmental Protection Agency grant is named for Manor Brook Drive, which leads to the residential Whitetail Run Community development.
The area west of Chillicothe Road through which the unnamed creek flows is undeveloped green space and the village has an agreement in place with the Whitetail Run Homeowners Association to reconstruct the creek to help with the flooding and improve the water quality of the headwater stream, said Kimberly Brewster, deputy director of the Chagrin River Watershed Partners.
Brewster said she walked the creek, met with the WRHOA and submitted the grant request in 2019.
The project total is estimated to cost $460,000, with the village contributing 40% or $184,000, she said.
Haibach said the stream on the west side of Chillicothe Road performs well during heavy rain once the flood water reaches it, but therein lies the problem.
“It’s a deep ditch and it very efficiently conveys the water. It can convey a whole lot of water in a short time. The water comes rip-roaring through there at high velocity,” he said.
When it connects with other tributaries to McFarland Creek downstream, it causes flooding, Haibach said.
On the north end of the stream, Chillicothe Road acts as a dam for water on the east side of the road. The culvert that drains about 30 acres of developed properties is between 12 and 18 inches in diameter, he said.
“That creates a dire situation in a big rain event,” he added, with the front yards of homes along the east side of Chillicothe Road flooded until water can get through the small culvert.
Haibach said a study of the stream shows the culvert needs to be at least 36 inches in diameter to handle the water from storms.
The project includes replacing the culvert, he said.
To solve the problem of flooding on the south end of the creek, the plan entails reconstructing the creek so it has numerous curves that will slow the storm waters down. That would add about 950 feet to the stream, making it about 1,360 feet long, Haibach said.
In addition, about an acre of land around the creek will be graded to allow the creek to flood, slowing the flow and encouraging water to soak into the ground rather than racing down the streambed, he said.
Riparian vegetation will be planted and maintained along the creek, including native trees and woody brush to keep erosion to a minimum, Haibach said.
“When you get intense rain events, the water will be going slower and will have to widen out and flood the area,” he said. “(The larger culvert) will prevent water from pooling on the east side of (Route) 306.”
The west side is full of weeds and brambles that will be cleared out, Haibach said, adding the plantings along the creek and in the floodplain will be good for the wildlife.
“It will create more streambed habitat and ecology and manage the flooding issue at the same time,” he said.
The project should take about four months to complete and the grant allows work to continue into 2022.
Haibach said he asked the Ohio Department of Transportation if they plan to resurface Chillicothe Road in South Russell this year and he is hoping, if that is the case, the culvert work can be done before the road work.
When the culvert is replaced, traffic will be limited to one lane with a traffic light keeping vehicles flowing safely, he said.
Another flooding problem exists in the area south of village hall and there is a plan in place for a similar solution, Brewster added.
