City of Fort Wayne and Allen County collaborate with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on new stormwater management master plan

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) – The City of Fort Wayne and Allen County announced Wednesday that they have entered into an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for a design assistance study to provide a new stormwater management master plan.

A stormwater management master plan is a comprehensive plan based on research into a community’s stormwater problems to help meet legal requirements to protect the environment while developing management practices for the future.

The Allen County Board of Commissioners requested assistance from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in February 2023.

According to the Allen County Board of Commissioners, “The Water Resources Development Act of 1974 authorizes the Corps to assist in the development of comprehensive plans for the development, use and conservation of water and related land resources. Their study will also incorporate Allen County’s recently adopted Comprehensive Land Use Plan to help us create a complete picture of water use today and in the future.”

The new stormwater management master plan will analyze approximately 60 major watersheds throughout Allen County and will be developed in collaboration with the Allen County Surveyor, Fort Wayne City Utilities, the Maumee River Basin Commission and officials from Huntertown, Leo-Cedarville, Monroeville, New Haven and Woodburn.

Working with the Army Corps of Engineers, these scientists will launch a multi-year study to update Allen County’s 52-year-old stormwater drainage policies by examining how land use and development affect flooding, water quality and the environment.

The new Stormwater Management Master Plan examines these areas both in terms of current conditions and future development as envisaged in the All in All Plan.

According to Mike Fruchey, Allen County Assessor, “Hydraulic engineering practices have changed dramatically over the past 50 years, and this plan should reflect our current stormwater engineering standards. The new master plan will apply current engineering methods, technology and land use data to create a new comprehensive 30-year plan.”

The study and master plan are expected to take five years to complete. The new stormwater management master plan will benefit Allen County for at least the next 30 years.