Page 6 - July-Aug22Vol40No2

TIPTONVILLE By Trevor Cropp, P.E.
Stormwater Flooding Solutions

Flood events have become more enough, a sluice gate is closed to prevent NDRC Grant Provides Funding for a
common along the Mississippi River and floodwater from backing up through the Permanent Solution
neighboring towns, causing hardship culvert and flooding the east side of the While leaders continued to work on
for residents, businesses, agriculture, levee. Tiptonville’s flooding issues, the U.S.
transportation, utilities, and overall If a rain event occurs during a time Department of Housing and Urban
economic well-being of an area. County that the gates are closed, localized Development, in coordination with
and city leaders continue to search for stormwater will pond on the flat the Rockefeller Center, launched the
solutions to minimize flood impacts for landward side of the levee. Frequently, National Disaster Resilience Competition
their communities. the gate is required to remain closed for (NDRC) Grant to award $1 billion to
This has included the area of Lake extended periods of time during high 13 jurisdictions across the country after
County, located in northwest Tennessee waters. Hurricane Sandy highlighted the need for
along the Mississippi River. The town of Facing a tough, ongoing flood more resilient communities during natural
Tiptonville reigns as the county seat with problem, Tiptonville worked within its disasters.
a population of just over 4,000 residents. limited financial resources to address Fortunately for Tiptonville, it was
Tiptonville is home to traditional each flood as it happened. Flood control eligible to receive this grant funding as a
residential areas as well as fertile included using a team of tractors result of the floods that occurred during
agricultural land that is vital to mounted with portable pumps to transfer 2011 that resulted in a National Disaster
community success. While these areas stormwater up and over the levee. Declaration. The state of Tennessee
are protected from flooding by the US Plastic tarps were used to prevent submitted an application requesting
Army Corps of Engineers mainline levee erosion and damage to the levee during funding for $44 million for flood
running along the Mississippi River, pumping operations. The process was mitigation projects located across west
they are often affected by more local repeated as storm events occurred, Tennessee.
stormwater flooding when the big river is requiring tractors and equipment to be The West Tennessee River Basin
out of its banks. mobilized each time. The equipment was Authority (WTRBA) was named
privately owned and costly to operate.
The Cause of Frequent Flooding in The willingness of the local landowners Interagency Grantee to manage several
Tiptonville to stand in the gap and help their town of the projects and began its search
The “dry side” of the levee drains was admirable, but it wasn’t a long-term, for consultants to provide design and
through the levee by two existing automated solution that the town and construction oversight.
72-inch pipes to Graveyard Slough county could guarantee would be ready Selection of An Engineering Consultant
just to the north of Tiptonville. When when needed. “Our awarded projects required
the Mississippi River stage rises high

Above: Prior to the design of the town’s new pump station, Tiptonville mounted portable pumps
onto two tractors to pump ponding stormwater up and over the levee. Above right: Tiptonville’s
pump station was designed following Hydraulic Institute standards. Although only two pumps
were required at this time, an additional bay was included in the design for a potential third
pump in the future, saving time and cost down the line.
6 TPW July/August 2022