4/27/17 – 5:00 A.M.

More people voiced their opposition to proposed dry storage basins during a Wednesday night flood mitigation meeting in Findlay. The Courier reports several of the people who spoke wanted to know when someone would decide whether to move forward with the basin plan. Many land-owners argued the indecision on the plan is affecting their property values.

Stantec Engineering has proposed storage basins near the Eagle Creek and near Mount Blanchard. The basins would use dams to hold back water during a flood but would be dry the rest of the time. Stantec says a 100-year-flood would affect around 1,000 acres of land.

Stan Scarbrough owns land where a proposed storage basin could go. He argued building the dams would be more expensive than the damage done by the 2007 flood. Stantec engineers countered that’s only true if there’s only one more 100-year flood. Engineer Scott Peyton (PEE-ton) said their studies show a trend toward more flooding along the Blanchard River.

The Maumee Watershed Conservancy District voted to move forward with a plan to improve the river flow in Findlay during a meeting last week. It could cost around $20 million. Stantec estimates the cost to build three storage basins is around $140 million.

MORE: The Courier