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McKenna Boulevard - Park Edge - Park Ridge Flood Mitigation
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In 2016, 2017 and most notably in both June and August of 2018, the west side and near west side of Madison have received extreme rain events. The McKenna watershed had historical flooding that has caused significant impacts to the residents and properties. Of those impacted, the Park Edge -Park Ridge residents that have homes backing to the channel have had flood and structural damage 3 years in a row. This includes severe flood damage from the August flood where the watershed received a storm that was estimated to be a 500 -year event. The continued flooding has caused significant hardship, emotional and financial strain on those that have had to do repeated restoration of their homes, costing them tens of thousands of dollars each time they have flooded. Other properties upstream on the Greentree greenway channel including the Powless Tennis Center and the Prairie Park Senior living center had both flooded and received substantial damage. During the flood event, it was reported that people were trapped in the Powless Tennis Center, unable to leave until the flood waters receded. Over 100 seniors were displaced for more than 3 weeks at the Prairie Park Senior living facility when the building flooded and they awaited return while the building was being repaired and made habitable again.
In 2018, the City had originally budgeted for a flood mitigation project to add additional culvert capacity under McKenna Boulevard. However, based on the August flood, the increase in storm recurrences and intensities that have been occurring in recent years, the Engineering Division has requested and received additional funding from the Common Council for a more comprehensive project that would mitigate flooding at McKenna Boulevard and further upstream. This project includes: replacement of the existing storm culverts under McKenna Boulevard and within Elver Park with twin 5x10 and twin 5x12 box c...
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