Residents of the Iron Creek subdivision have been dealing with flooding problems after extremely heavy rains for at least 10 years.

The City of Washington has been trying to help solve that problem for as long as Iron Creek residents have complained about their plight and sought solutions to their dilemma. Some things the city has done has helped alleviate the problem, but not solve it entirely.

During its meeting Monday, the City Council discussed a proposal to raise Ore Court, a road that serves the subdivision, but that option could have minimum results, according to an engineering firm that’s studied the matter.

“While raising the road would mitigate flooding during smaller storms, it would not be effective for storms equal to or greater than the 10-year storm,” wrote John A. Core, an engineer with The Wooten Co., in a letter to Allen Lewis, the city’s public-works director.

The city hired The Wooten Co. to evaluate flooding issues during rain events along Ore Court, with that evaluation specifically looking at the possibility of raising Ore Court. A 10-year storm occurs, on average, once every 10 years.

Core’s letter estimated the cost of elevating Ore Court to minimize the flooding effects at $425,000 (entire project expenses).

Council members expressed concern over spending that amount of money when it appears that option might not adequately address the problem. The city isn’t giving up on the issue. The city will explore other options — old and new — to find a solution that works and is not cost prohibitive.

Iron Creek’s flooding and drainage problems have been blamed on ill-designed drainage ditches, beaver dams and the clogged Mitchell Branch on the south side of U.S. Highway 264. City public-works crews have done some work over the years, helping alleviate the problem.
No matter the sources of the problem or who is to blame, the city is doing the right thing in seeking a solution for Iron Creek residents.
We’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: the problem should be addressed at the lowest possible cost and as soon as possible.