Stormwater modeling, mapping & analysis for Cane Creek watershed Memphis, TN

As is the case in many cities, City of Memphis, TN essentially outgrew a drainage system that in most areas is more than 75 years old. The development of commercial areas with great expanses of paved, impervious surfaces sends runoff into storm sewers and drainage ditches faster and in greater volumes than their designed capacities allow. Amongst many, Cane Creek watershed with total drainage area of 5,110 acres is one of the drainage basins in City of Memphis in need of drainage improvement to not only protect lives and homes, but enhance property values, thereby strengthening the tax base.

AECOM, as part of the Pickering Team, studied the hydrologic and hydraulic characteristics of Cane Creek drainage basins and developed series of recommendations to improve drainage conditions throughout the study areas. InfoSWMM, a hydrologic and hydraulic computer simulation model that is integrated with ArcGIS 10.2.1 to simulate and predict conditions for existing and proposed conditions for effective management of urban stormwater systems, was used to simulate hydrologic and hydraulic conditions of Cane Creek Watershed stormwater conveyance system for both existing and proposed conditions with statistical recurrence intervals of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100 years flooding. Flood boundaries were mapped using FEMA approved The Watershed Information System (WISE) software. The results of the model were used to identify locations of existing condition flooding and to identify appropriate Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs) to address existing flooding problems. Further, for this project, FEMA BCA version 5.1.0 was used to performed benefit cost analysis for all proposed detention ponds in Cane Creek Watershed.