A major flood control project on the Mill Creek is nearing completion, but the agency set to take responsibility for the infrastructure doesn’t have the money to operate it.
The Millcreek Valley Conservancy District will soon be responsible for the Barrier Dam and Mill Creek Channel Projects, according to decades-old agreements.
Collectively, the projects protect tens of thousands of residents and more than a billion dollars of property from flood damage, according to the city of Cincinnati.
What is the Millcreek Valley Conservancy District?
Following major flooding of the Mill Creek in 1959, nine local governments petitioned the courts to form the Millcreek Valley Conservancy District. It was established in 1962 to provide local flood protection, water stewardship and recreational use for communities along the Mill Creek.
In the 1970s, the conservancy district undertook a $100 million flood management project in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It involved a series of channelization projects, pumping plants and additional pumps at the Mill Creek Barrier Dam.
The conservancy district agreed to assume responsibility for operation and maintenance of the Mill Creek Channel Project once it was complete, under a 1975 agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers.
It also agreed to take over operation and maintenance of the Barrier Dam upon completion of the Mill Creek Channel Project, under a 1979 agreement with the city of Cincinnati.
Agency ‘at a crossroads’
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now finishing up construction of the flood control measures and preparing to turn them over to the conservancy district.
Arun Hindupur is a deputy director with Greater Cincinnati Water Works overseeing the Stormwater Management Utility.
He says the conservancy district lacks the revenue and capacity needed to meet its responsibilities.
“The conservancy district itself is at a crossroads,” Hindupur said. “Since about 2006 they have not had any permanent staff or sustainable source of income.”
The conservancy district is overseen by a board composed of three members. They aren’t elected; rather appointed by Hamilton County Conservancy Court judges.
Hindupur says the conservancy district receives about $20,000 annually from the city of Cincinnati, contributions from the village of Evendale and city of Sharonville, and some grants.
Operating the Mill Creek flood control measures and Barrier Dam is expected to cost approximately $12 million annually.
“There are some ongoing operation and maintenance functions that wouldn't be realized if there wasn't a dedicated and sustainable source of funding,” Hindupur said.
$1.5 million funding proposal aims to protect infrastructure, revive conservancy district
A new funding proposal aims to keep the conservancy district afloat and flood control measures protected.
Members of Cincinnati City Council will consider an ordinance giving a $1.5 million loan to the Millcreek Valley Conservancy District.
The conservancy district would use the loan to develop a sustainable revenue stream, hire an executive director and do outreach with the community.
Hindupur says if the conservancy district does not obtain funding, the board could file to dissolve. That would leave the city responsible for the flood control measures.
“In which case, we believe that by default, the city ... would assume the liability of those assets, which is upwards of — my understanding is — it's in the hundreds of millions [of dollars], as far as the channel itself,” Hindupur said.
The ordinance is on the agenda for the Climate, City Services & Infrastructure Committee meeting Tuesday at 10 a.m. at City Hall.
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