Martin's Run Creek retention basin is hoped to quell westside flooding problems in Lorain

LORAIN — An end to flooding along Martin's Run Creek could be in sight as phase II of an EPA plan moves forward. On Monday, City Council approved the purchase of two parcels along Martin's Run Creek for retention basins to help with flooding throughout the area. The land, between Broadway and Cooper Foster Park Road and owned by Eschtruth Investment Co. will cost the city $750,000 out of its storm sewer fund. This is phase II of an ongoing effort to mitigate flooding in the area that has been an issue for at least two decades and a project for Councilman Josh Thornsberry, D-Ward 8, since he's been elected. The entire project is estimated to cost around $5 million, he said. Phase I was completed in 2018, and focused on clearing out culverts to try to keep storm water from backing up into roadways during heavy rains. But the $1 million clean-up wasn't enough to fix the issue, Thornsberry said. "The EPA's theory is the Martin's Run Creek can hold all the water that the city of Lorain is sending it, the problem is, it's the creek's already full in a heavy rain event because of all the water that's flowing from Amherst and Elyria townships," Thornsberry said. "So their idea was to do some kind of a retention where the creek comes into the city, hold back the Amherst and Elyria water in this retention, which would allow our streets that abut the creek to drain properly." There are also plans to address sediment buildup at the mouth of the creek where it lets out into Lake Erie. When it's not raining, the creek will continue to make its way through the wetlands on the near westside, but the project will allow the city to control the flow and during heavy rains, designated areas will flood — rather than streets like Tower Boulevard or Ashland Avenue. The problem stems, in part, from developments built on that side of the city in the 1960s and 1970s that tied drainage from the streets directly into the creek, as well as original EPA edicts tying the storm and sanitary sewers together — which now causes sewage backups into residents' basements and overwhelms the city's treatment plant. "The way things were designed in the '60s and '70s would be extremely illegal today," Thornsberry said. The project has been slow going while the city tries to find grants to pay for the work, he explained. The acquisition approved Monday marks one of the first time Lorain has paid "out of pocket" for the project. There have also been setbacks caused by engineering studies — including finding the bedrock along the creek is only 9 feet deep, rather than the estimated 15-feet, which triggered an effort to re-engineer the design of the basins. The timeline for the basins is unclear, Thornsberry said. Originally the hope was to have the property acquired in December, with work starting in July. He now suspects the grants to help offset construction costs won't be in line until the fall. If the retention basins do not alleviate flooding in wards 4, 7 and 8, Phase III would allow the city to dredge the creek, making it wider and deeper to handle the continued overflow. Modifying the creek like that would cost another estimated $5 million. Due to wetlands restrictions, that option is considered a last resort, Thornsbery said. "When you're paying these bills and you flood like you did this weekend, you're kind of saying, 'Oh my god what am I paying for?' " he said. "So I think it's important that people know that these projects are coming down the line and they just take time." Contact Carissa Woytach at (440) 329-7245 or cwoytach@chroniclet.com.