Dam!

I've been posting pictures taken at several of our local MetroParks, and today is no exception.  I visited Huffman MetroPark, which is very close to the house.

One of the reasons we have some of the MetroParks goes back to March of 1913.  Next year will be the 100th anniversary of the Great Dayton Flood.  As a result of the damage and death toll related to the flood, NCR (National Cash Register, or "The Cash") spearheaded a campaign to raise funds to prevent future floods.

A great book to read for a better understanding of what people went through is Promises in the Attic by Elisabeth Hamilton Friermood.  But to put some numbers to it, the amount of water from the flood was nearly 4 trillion gallons (approximately the amount of water to flow over Niagara Falls in four days).  The damage caused was estimated at $190 million (in 1913; in today's economy it would be well over $2 billion).

The relief committee raised over $2 million (in 1913 dollars!), and Arthur E. Morgan was selected to oversee the flood control program.  Among the research they performed was a trip to Egypt where information regarding the Nile flooding had been preserved in writing for many more years than our own flood histories.  The better their understanding of floods, the better prepared they would be to create an effective plan.

It was 1914 before the Ohio General Assembly passed the Ohio Conservancy Act, permitting the creation of regional agencies to provide flood protection to communities within the state.  Shortly thereafter, leaders from the Miami Valley petitioned to form the Miami Conservancy District.  The district was formed in 1915 and is one of the oldest conservancy districts in the state.

A series of 5 dams were built between 1918 and 1922 under the direction of the Miami Conservancy District, and it was the world's largest public works project of its time.  The cost of the flood system?  More than $30 million.

Planning to the point of obsessiveness, careful financing, legislation, and implementation all working together enabled the most comprehensive flood protection in the nation.

Since completion in 1922, the dams have stored floodwater more than 1,700 times.  Dayton has not experienced another devastating flood since that of 1913.  PBS has run a special on the flood several times, as well as one on those who created the system of dams.  I remember more modern engineers being amazed at the thought behind the system and how the engineers were ahead of their time in planning for the future.

So, out of disaster, I am able to walk the paths of numerous MetroParks and visit lakes at the dams built to prevent the area from catastrophic flooding.  The natural growth, wildlife, and critters are all part of the wonderful package.

I can't begin to imagine what many people endured since the warnings regarding the flood came too late for the majority to evacuate.  Many people were forced to move to their attics to survive; once there I'm sure they realized what is important in life, and made many promises for after the flood. Whatever promises were made, I am very grateful they kept the one about not allowing another flood to destroy Dayton.


The beauty that is waiting to be captured at our MetroParks is a living testimonial to the endurance, determination, and spirit of the 1913 Daytonians.