Cumberland River and Browns, Richland, Whites Creeks Feasibility Study

FACT SHEET (As of April 2022)

Nashville District Public Affairs
Published Jan. 21, 2015
Updated: May 2, 2022

 Cumberland River and Browns, Richland, Whites Creeks Feasibility Study 


US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS BUILDING STRONG®

AUTHORIZATION: Section 205 of the 1948 Flood Control Act (P.L. 80-858), as amended.

TYPE OF PROJECT: Feasibility Study

LOCATION: Metropolitan Nashville – Davidson County is near the middle of Cumberland River Basin at Mile 192.  Nashville, the state Capital of Tennessee, is in the north central part of the state. This project focuses on the south and west Nashville tributary stream, Richland Creek.

CONGRESSIONAL INTEREST: Cooper (TN-5), Blackburn (TN), Hagerty (TN)

NON-FEDERAL SPONSOR: Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County (Metro).

 

BACKGROUND:  A flood risk management feasibility study for Nashville and Davidson County is being conducted under the Section 205 Authority. The feasibility report inventoried flood damages, evaluated potential flood damage reduction measures, and recommended feasible measures for construction. Due to program limits ($10M), only Richland Creek project is authorized for construction at this time.    

 

IMPORTANCE:  On May 1-2, 2010, record-breaking rains struck West and Middle Tennessee with local amounts of 18-20 inches to the south and west of Nashville.  The heaviest rain occurred in the uncontrolled basins of the Cumberland River, which resulted in widespread, devastating flash flooding, as well as unprecedented flooding along the Cumberland River and its tributaries. There has also been substantial flooding in 2017, and 2019 in the Richland Creek basin.

 

STATUS: The feasibility report is complete. It was approved for implementation/construction phase in June 2020. Metro had to delay implementation due to lack of funds. USACE awaits Metro funding capability to process the project partnership agreement and begin design and construction phase. This PPA is currently scheduled for August 2022 signature.

 

BUDGET: This is a $10M project, including channel modifications and residential buyout and elevations.

 

FY2022 Scheduled Work: Execute the PPA and begin project design phase, September 2022.


Contact
Thomas Herbert
(615) 736-7194
Thomas.Herbert@usace.army.mil