Ripley Field Office

Program: PL-566 Flood Prevention Project

Overview: The Mill Creek Watershed Project helped jump-start Ripley from a sleepy little town to a thriving, bustling city. The town had been subject to frequent severe flooding, droughts which created months of water rationing, and a lack of suitable commercial development sites.
    The City of Ripley had historically been plagued by devastating flooding from Mill Creek. In the decade of the 1970’s alone, Mill Creek reached flood stage nineteen times, each time resulting in dozens of flooded homes and businesses. Since 1980, however, Mill Creek has not reached flood stage a single time. What happened to cause this drastic change? Six flood control dams, built with NRCS PL-566 assistance, were installed on the major tributaries of Mill Creek. Problem solved.

Community Benefits: The watershed project eliminated the floods and the need for water rationing, and eliminated the flood hazard from several otherwise prime development sites.
    One bonus benefit of this flood protection has been the creation of commercial development sites on the ribbon of land that was removed from the floodplain. Since this land has been flood protected, more than $20 million in new commercial development has taken place. A second bonus benefit is that one of the structures was designed with a water supply pool that is available for emergency use by the city of Ripley.
    Tim King, Ripley’s City Manager, says, “The three factors limiting the town’s progress were seasonal flooding, lack of a dependable water supply, and lack of quality commercial development sites. The Mill Creek Watershed Project removed all three obstacles.”

Contact: For additional information call the NRCS Ripley Field Office between 8:00-4:30 at (304) 372-6231.

                       
Mill Creek Site 10                            New Construction in Ripley made possible by the Mill Creek Watershed Project



 

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