Planning is moving smoothly for a flood mitigation project in Morehead, and officials are optimistic other eastern Kentucky communities can utilize the idea as well.
Last year, FEMA awarded the City of Morehead with a Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grant for the planning and development of green sinks. These pond-like formations will act as overflow basins during heavy rainfall, where water can spill instead of flowing into city streets.
Morehead City Planner Rodney Fouch said local officials have been discussing the initiative with the Corps of Engineers, and now the engineering company Sustainable Streams is helping to push the project forward.
“We have an engineering company doing evaluations on what the numbers would look like if we implemented a green sink in several different areas in town,” said Fouch. “And by numbers, I mean- how much, how many cubic feet, how many gallons of water would be displaced by removing ‘x’ amount of cubic feet of earth?” Said Fouch.
Fouch said this idea was crafted in Morehead by Licking Valley engineer Brian Storz. Now, communities like Salt Lick and Mt. Sterling are also looking for ways to build green sinks.
“They’re identifying areas of their counties that are prone to flooding and taking that green sinks idea and implementing it at a larger scale than what we’re doing here, and seeing. Okay, again, if we take out this much dirt in this field or at this stream bank or road, how much will it affect the flooding?” said Fouch.
Fouch said the project is still in its planning phase as engineers calculate Morehead’s specific needs, and it could take about five years before residents see results. He added flooding is a major issue across eastern Kentucky, and hopefully, green sinks can help various communities across the region.