Posted on November 2, 2023
PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will co-host an open house/public meeting on November 9, 2023, from 5-7 p.m. at Academy Park High School located at 300 Calcon Hook Rd, Sharon Hill, PA 19079, regarding the ongoing Eastwick Flood Risk Management Study.
In late August, the Army Corps announced the release of a draft report for the Eastwick Flood Risk Management Study. The draft report outlines a ‘Tentatively Selected Plan,’ which includes an approximately 1400-foot levee along the left bank of Cobbs Creek within the Eastwick Regional Park and Clearview Landfill. The Draft Integrated Feasibility Report and Environmental Assessment details extensive engineering, economic, and environmental analyses conducted to date as part of the study.
During the open house/public meeting event, USACE team members will be available to discuss preliminary findings and ongoing analyses about how a potential levee could impact water levels outside of the study area within the potentially impacted areas of Delaware County.
- 5:00-5:30 p.m.: Open House portion where residents/stakeholders can engage Army Corps team members regarding the study and representatives from other organizations regarding flood risk management topics
- 5:30-6:00 p.m.: Army Corps presentation on the status of the study
- 6:00-7:00 p.m.: Comments and Questions and Answer period; other stakeholders/agencies may make comments during this portion to touch on regional context and other related efforts.
Levee Background
A levee is an earthen (soil) embankment designed to keep water from flowing out of creek bank and flooding a given area. It does not eliminate flooding from all sources. In its current alignment, the levee plan would reduce flood damages in the Eastwick study area by an average of more than $4 million annually (modeled/averaged over a 50-year period of analysis).
Study Background
The Eastwick neighborhood of Philadelphia experiences recurring flooding that results in considerable economic damages to homes, businesses, industry, and public infrastructure. The objective of this study is to manage flood risk to people, property and infrastructure associated within the study area. The Philadelphia Water Department is the non-federal sponsor for the study. It’s important to note that the levee outlined in the Tentatively Selected Plan would require consensus/support from a non-federal sponsor, real estate easements, and multiple years of design for potential implementation.
