Kuehl and Payer, Ltd. Engineering in Storm Lake, Sac City and Algona Iowa

Onawa Flood Control Basin Project Onawa, Iowa

The Challenge

The Onawa Drainage District was established in 1919 to afford a system of surface ditches to provide drainage to the town of Onawa and adjacent agricultural land. The District encompasses the City of Onawa consists of approximately 1,700 acres located on the floodplain of the Missouri River in the north-central portion of Franklin Township, Monona County, Iowa. The City of Onawa for years contended with flooding during intense storm events causing the backup of City’s storm sewers. Addressing this flooding was the challenge that Kuehl and Payer, Ltd. was hired to address.

 

The KPL Solution

Kuehl and Payer, Ltd. planned, development and design a pumping and flood detention basin system to provide flood relief to the east portions of the City of Onawa. The development of the project involved performing hydrology analysis of the watershed to determine a feasible level of flood protection. A three (3) day, 25 year storm event was established based on vicinity rainfall and stream staging records. Kuehl and Payer, Ltd. utilized permanent automated pumping stations powered by electric motors, thereby, providing the City an immediate response to flooding with no manual operation delays.

 

Results and Benefits

Since completion, the flood control pumping system is providing the east side of the City of Onawa effective flood control. The City Council and the Board of Supervisors have expressed that the system effectiveness surpassed their expectations. In 1999 the Consulting Engineers Council of Iowa awarded Kuehl and Payer, Ltd. the Honor Award for Engineering Excellence for our role in this project which they judged demonstrated “Originality, Uniqueness and New Application of Existing Technology”.

 

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