Goshen’s Got its Own Flood Resilience Plan
Aerial image of flooding conditions in Goshen, 2018
When Goshen flooded in 2018, the episode was the worst in community history. In the wake of the flood – and with precipitation projected to increase between 6 and 8% by 2050 – the city undertook work on a study that would identify at-risk areas and outline practical ways of addressing the problem.
The resulting Flood Resilience Plan, completed in cooperation with Christopher B. Burke Engineering, LLC and presented to the public in March 2022, emphasized environmental conservation strategies as the most practical and effective in response to future flooding events. Among the plan’s green recommendations:
- Protecting undeveloped land near the “floodway fringe.”
- Allowing the Elkhart River space to change over time.
- Restricting development that might prevent the river from doing so.
Within the city, recommended next steps include creating a stormwater master plan to look at flood management practices in Goshen’s urban spaces and retrofitting or relocating buildings vulnerable to flooding.
Learn more about Goshen’s plans to address flooding and access additional tools and resources here.
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Written and edited by Wendy Wilson
Original publish date April 2022
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