Uploaded June 2021 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Read the full case study: prestogeo.com/case_studies/flood-impact-reduction-and-streambank-repair-along-spy-run-creek
Project Background:
Spy Run Creek in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a 10-mile watercourse that drains several square miles on the northwest side of Fort Wayne. Spy Run Creek empties into the St. Mary’s River in downtown Fort Wayne, just upstream from its confluence with the St. Joseph River. The St. Mary’s and the St. Joseph rivers join to create the Maumee River, which flows northeasterly into northwestern Ohio and Lake Erie.
The main focus of the project was to reduce flooding in the Upper Spy Run Watershed and, more specifically, the Interstate Business Park located between Interstate 69 and Coliseum Boulevard.
Channel improvements to Spy Run Creek had previously been completed between Production Drive and Coliseum Boulevard in downtown Fort Wayne. The businesses to the west and north of the creek in this area were the primary properties affected by the frequent flooding. In 2013, buildings on both the east and west sides of Spy Run Creek in the Interstate Business Park experienced significant flooding.
In general, Spy Run Creek is prone to flash flooding throughout the watershed and, specifically, in this area. It is not uncommon for floodwaters to reach interior streets within the business park.
The original banks of the creek were heavily overgrown and difficult to maintain. Small to moderately sized trees grew out of the banks as well as brush and other undergrowth. In most places along the project area, the creek could not be accessed from the top of the bank because of the dense growth and close proximity to the development. This heavy growth likely contributed to the flash flooding in this length of the creek simply from the cross-sectional channel area that was taken up by it.
Velocities in the creek were also high during flooding events. In one instance, gravel was washed out from underneath a box truck, except for directly beneath the wheels, to a depth of more than 6 in. Also, due to the velocity, several areas of bank erosion existed along the west bank of the creek, including an area near a large utility pole. The bank was just a few feet away from washing away from the pole base at the time construction commenced.
Read the full case study: prestogeo.com/case_studies/flood-impact-reduction-and-streambank-repair-along-spy-run-creek
Project Background:
Spy Run Creek in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is a 10-mile watercourse that drains several square miles on the northwest side of Fort Wayne. Spy Run Creek empties into the St. Mary’s River in downtown Fort Wayne, just upstream from its confluence with the St. Joseph River. The St. Mary’s and the St. Joseph rivers join to create the Maumee River, which flows northeasterly into northwestern Ohio and Lake Erie.
The main focus of the project was to reduce flooding in the Upper Spy Run Watershed and, more specifically, the Interstate Business Park located between Interstate 69 and Coliseum Boulevard.
Channel improvements to Spy Run Creek had previously been completed between Production Drive and Coliseum Boulevard in downtown Fort Wayne. The businesses to the west and north of the creek in this area were the primary properties affected by the frequent flooding. In 2013, buildings on both the east and west sides of Spy Run Creek in the Interstate Business Park experienced significant flooding.
In general, Spy Run Creek is prone to flash flooding throughout the watershed and, specifically, in this area. It is not uncommon for floodwaters to reach interior streets within the business park.
The original banks of the creek were heavily overgrown and difficult to maintain. Small to moderately sized trees grew out of the banks as well as brush and other undergrowth. In most places along the project area, the creek could not be accessed from the top of the bank because of the dense growth and close proximity to the development. This heavy growth likely contributed to the flash flooding in this length of the creek simply from the cross-sectional channel area that was taken up by it.
Velocities in the creek were also high during flooding events. In one instance, gravel was washed out from underneath a box truck, except for directly beneath the wheels, to a depth of more than 6 in. Also, due to the velocity, several areas of bank erosion existed along the west bank of the creek, including an area near a large utility pole. The bank was just a few feet away from washing away from the pole base at the time construction commenced.
