Challenges in Implementing a Multi-Objective Water Resources Project: Pogues Run Flood Control/CSO Reduction Project

Pogues Run is an urban stream, approximately 17.7 km (11 miles) long and draining approximately 33.7 km² (13.0 square miles), that flows into the West Fork White River near downtown Indianapolis. The lower portion of Pogues Run is enclosed in 3.5 km (2.2 miles) of underground conduit (known as the Box Culvert) through downtown Indianapolis. Due to limited capacity, the Box Culvert entrance is overtopped during extreme flooding events, creating overland flow through downtown Indianapolis and the near-east side. The current extent of the floodplain severely limits the City's revitalization and development efforts for parts of downtown and the near-east side. In addition to flooding problems, nearly the entire length of Pogues Run suffers from unfavorable water quality. While the origin of these water quality problems may not be entirely traced to the Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) discharges, water quality in Pogues Run and the West Fork White River has seriously deteriorated as a result of 23 CSO outfalls along Pogues Run. To address the problems facing Pogues Run, a multi-million dollar comprehensive plan has been formulated in three (3) phases. Phase 1 includes construction of two multi-purpose flood control basins, modifications to CSOs, channel improvements, and removal/replacement of several bridges. Phase 2 includes consolidation, modification, and reduction of several Pogues Run CSOs. Phase 3 includes the conversion of one barrel of the Pogues Run Box Culvert into a CSO storage facility. Implementation for several elements of the Phase 1 projects has already started. Due to the multi-objective nature of the project and its funding needs, many agencies and neighborhood groups with varied, and sometimes conflicting, interests were involved. Issues such as short-term funding, handling special waste, compensatory wetland creation, allowance for dam overtopping, and even the project&s name and purpose had to be resolved.