The City of Midland and the Midland Business Alliance (MBA) Advisory Committee on Infrastructure (ACOI) are planning for the best use of $40 million included in the current state budget signed by Governor Whitmer last July. The ACOI worked closely with our state legislators to successfully include two funding provisions for the City of Midland to support efforts to reduce the severity of flooding and enhance flood resiliency. The first is $25 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, administered by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). The second is a $15 million enhancement from the state, administered by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). Each of these grants have their own specific requirements around reporting, timelines and how funds can be used. Due to funding-related deadlines, decisions on future projects need to take place by the end of this year.

City staff and engineers are working closely with the ACOI’s team of engineers from Spicer Group to identify and evaluate potential flood reduction projects that could be completed with this funding. Approximately 40 options are currently being evaluated. A few of the criteria used to evaluate projects include: estimated costs, effectiveness of reducing the frequency and severity of flooding, alignment with other City efforts, probability of completion within timelines, community input and more.

These projects might include: floodwalls, flood gates and pump stations; stormwater storage areas and floodplain enhancements; culvert replacements and improvements; open channel drainage system improvements; and/or upsizing storm sewer infrastructure.

In the weeks ahead, the community will have opportunities to learn more about these potential projects and share thoughts. A good way to keep track of updates includes visiting cityofmidlandmi.gov/floodresiliency, where you can comment and sign up to receive information on upcoming meetings and progress updates. Find more information about the Advisory Committee’s efforts at www.MBAmi.org/FloodStudy. Stay tuned. We welcome and encourage the community’s participation.

A Second “Lane” of Progress

In addition to the activity around the $40 million state grants, there is another lane on the path toward flood reduction and resiliency. The first study with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is being finalized. This hydrology and hydraulics (H&H) study of the Tittabawassee River Watershed is the largest modeling project undertaken by the USACE-Detroit District.

The software model shows the “current conditions” and where flooding would occur under many different rain and ground-saturation conditions. It will help our emergency managers better predict flooding and prepare the community. Spicer engineers are currently using this new H&H data to create individual models as needed for the City projects discussed above. The County of Midland and the MBA ACOI were the local partners for this first study.

Next, the City of Midland will join the County and MBA as local partners for a second USACE study. Called a General Investigation (GI) study, this three-year study will use the data from the H&H study. The GI study will develop potential actionable projects and determine their feasibility (cost-benefit). For example, the computer model would help the engineers determine where potential floodwater detention is most needed to reduce the impact of flooding and the types of projects that could yield positive results. If successful, the study may recommend larger-scale projects, which would then require federal authorization and appropriations.

Side note: we were told that it is a “big deal” that we achieved the authorization and the first-year appropriation for this GI study. We were one of only five GI new studies funded in the entire country last year (and many years there are none). These are big studies that can yield very large projects, so they are not easy to get started. We are proud of our work and are thankful for the federal legislators who helped us get here.

The USACE is currently drafting the contract agreement needed to start the GI study. We are eager to review the contract, get approval from all local partners and begin the process.

Working with the USACE is a long-term process for our long-term flooding problem. Our end goal for the GI study is to have projects that the Corps can ultimately build. Many, many steps must be completed to get to that point. In the meantime, the shorter-term projects – like the $40 million for projects – can really help us move forward.

We will keep you posted. We welcome your participation throughout this process – both the short-term and the long-term paths for progress.

About the Op-ed Authors

Brad Kaye has been the City Manager of Midland since 2017. He joined the City of Midland in 2012 as Director of Planning and Community Development and was promoted to Assistant City Manager for Development Services in 2015. Before coming to Midland, he worked in urban and regional planning positions in Traverse City, across northern lower Michigan and in the Haldimand-Norfolk region of southern Ontario, Canada.

Lee Ann Keller is owner and CEO of Omni Tech, a global technical and business consulting company in Midland that specializes in strategic planning, biobased product commercialization, and DEI strategies/training. She and her company have been actively involved in the Midland community for more than 30 years. Lee and her family reside on Sanford Lake.

J.W. Fisher is the President of Fisher Contracting Company, a heavy/highway civil contractor with locations in Michigan and Kentucky and part of Fisher Companies. Since 1925, four generations of the Fisher family have provided civil construction services to federal, state, municipal and private clients throughout the Midwest and Southeast. He and his family reside in Midland.