The levees and channel modifications in cities along the Great Miami River work in conjunction with the MCD dams to pass the Official Plan Flood, a recurrence of the 1913 flood plus 40 percent additional runoff.
Each geographical location in which flood protection improvements (i.e., levees, modified channels) have been constructed are known as local protection features. There are 10 local protection features in 11 cities within the flood protection system.
Piqua
Piqua, located in northern Miami County, is the most upstream local protection feature. Most of the city, including the central business district, lies south and west of the Great Miami River. Rush Creek enters the river north of the city. MCD maintains 2.8 miles of levee and 3 miles of river channel in Piqua. MCD owns and operates a stormwater pump station at the south end of Race Street.
Troy
Troy is located in central Miami County. The main section of the city, including the central business district, is south and west of the Great Miami River. Morgan Ditch enters the river from the west, at the north end of the city. MCD maintains 3.5 miles of levee and 2.2 miles of improved channel in Troy.
Tipp City
Tipp City is located west of the Great Miami River in southern Miami County. Tipp City was not flooded in 1913; the flood protection levee protects the city from water stored behind Taylorsville Dam. MCD maintains 1.2 miles of levee at Tipp City.
Miami Villa
Miami Villa Addition is located along the east bank of the Great Miami River in Huber Heights in northeastern Montgomery County. MCD maintains .75 miles of levee and a half-mile of channel at Miami Villa.
Dayton is located in central Montgomery County. It is the largest city within the MCD flood protection system. The Great Miami River snakes through the city, where it meets the Stillwater River, Mad River and Wolf Creek. The central business district lies south and east of the Great Miami River, but extensive residential and industrial areas line both banks of the rivers and creek. MCD maintains 19 miles of levee and 10.5 miles of channel in Dayton, including 1.6 miles of channel along Mad River and 0.75 miles of channel along Wolf Creek. Two stop log closures supplement the left bank levee at RiverScape near Monument Avenue.
The right bank of the Great Miami River along Ome Avenue and Embury Park Drive is maintained as part of the improved channel, but there is no levee. MCD maintains 1.5 miles of river channel downstream from the Broadway Bridge to ensure that encroachments do not affect the capacity of the Dayton channel.
West Carrollton – Miami Shores
West Carrollton and Moraine are located south of Dayton in southern Montgomery County. The Miami Shores levee protects an area of Moraine. Holes Creek and Frigidaire Ditch #2 enter the Great Miami River from the east within the maintained local protection feature. MCD maintains 4.7 miles of levee and 1.8 miles of channel in the West Carrollton – Miami Shores local protection feature. The levee around the large field north of Hydraulic Road was constructed by Montgomery County, and is not part of the local protection feature.
Miamisburg
Miamisburg is located in southern Montgomery County. Except for a small area, the city and the local protection are situated on the left (east) bank of the Great Miami River. Sycamore Creek enters the river from the east and Bear Creek enters from the west near the north end of the city. MCD maintains 4.1 miles of levee and 3 miles of channel in Miamisburg.
Franklin
Franklin is located in northwestern Warren County. Most of the city, including the central business district, lies east of the Great Miami River. Clear Creek enters the river from the east near the south (downstream) edge of the city. The river channel through Franklin is very narrow, so it would have been very expensive to construct an improved channel to pass the design discharge. During the design flood, the channel will carry approximately 80 percent of the discharge and the remaining flow will pass around the western edge of the city across low-lying land. This land is called the Franklin Overflow. MCD maintains 3.7 miles of levee and 1.7 miles of river channel in Franklin.
Middletown
Middletown is located in northeastern Butler County. The city lies east of the Great Miami River. Browns Run, the Middletown Hydraulic, Elk Creek and Dicks Creek enter the river within the Middletown local protection feature. MCD maintains 9.6 miles of levee and 8.4 miles of river channel in Middletown.
Hamilton
Hamilton, located in central Butler County, is the most downstream local protection feature. The city occupies both banks of the Great Miami River and the central business district lies east of the river. Two Mile Creek and the Hamilton Hydraulic discharge into the river at the north end of the feature. MCD maintains 5.1 miles of levee and 3.8 miles of improved channel at Hamilton. The right bank levee along the Sharon Park plat was built to channelize the river upstream from the low dam and does not provide flood protection to the neighborhood.
