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Last modified
1/25/2010 6:26:06 PM
Creation date
10/4/2006 11:24:12 PM
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Template:
Floodplain Documents
County
Statewide
Community
State
Basin
Statewide
Title
Addressing Your Community's Flood Problems - A Guide for Elected Officials
Date
1/1/1996
Prepared For
Assn. Of State Floodplain Managers
Prepared By
Floodplain Management Group
Floodplain - Doc Type
Educational/Technical/Reference Information
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<br /> <br />\':"J' " <br />1?ql%lgton,.Wiscollsin <br /> <br />SUCCESS STORIES <br /> <br />FLOODED WITH PRIDE - MITIGATION FOR REVITALIZATION <br />BY BEVERLY ANDERSON FORMER MAYOR, DARLINGTON, WISCONSIN <br /> <br />Darlington, nestled in a valley in southwest Wisconsin, is the county seat of Lafayette County, the most <br /> <br /> <br />agriculturally dependent county in the state. It was settled in 1836 along the banks of the Pecatonica <br /> <br /> <br />River, which was used to transport products, provided recreation (boating, fishing, swimming), and also <br /> <br /> <br />generated the community's electrical power until the turn of the century when the dam was removed. <br /> <br /> <br />Historically, the river would rise in the spring, flooding the lowlands, and approximately each 20 <br /> <br /> <br />years when summer torrential rains caused major flooding covering the lower rnro-and-one-half blocks <br /> <br /> <br />of the retail and service business sector, residences, businesses and fann lands up and down the river. <br /> <br /> <br />Having literally grown up on Main Street, actively involved in a family business for 42 years, it <br /> <br /> <br />always bothered me that during flooding episodes the news media printed pictures of the "old timers" <br /> <br /> <br />standing on the bridge watching the river rise and then of us, shirt sleeves and pant legs rolled up, wal- <br /> <br /> <br />lowing in mud, cleaning but seemingly doing nothing to prevent the repeated damage of future flooding. <br /> <br /> <br />So upon becoming involved in city and county government in the mid 1970s, we began initiating <br /> <br /> <br />an extensive land use program using Land and Water Conservation and Wisconsin local park aides' <br /> <br /> <br />funding to relocate extensive land use businesses (lumber yards, fuel companies, agricultural supply, <br /> <br /> <br />etc.) out of the flood way, rid ourselves of blighted areas, and use the land along the river for parkland, <br /> <br /> <br />for recreation, and other compatible uses. <br /> <br />We engaged the U.s. Army Corps of Engineers to do a topographical study before allowing further <br />development in the floodplain. The abandoned rail system, which ran adjacent to the river, was Inter- <br />state Commerce Commission railbanked and a 49-mile multi-use recreation trail was implemented. <br />After the major flooding of 1990, the city government immediately began organizing a task force of <br />pertinent agencies of higher levels of government and state and federal elected officials to meet, coordi- <br />nate, and collaborate as to what resources and/or financing each could offer for an acceleration of an <br />extensive flood mitigation effort that would also include historic preservation, economic revitalization, <br />and ultimately contamination remediation. <br />Wisconsin Emergency Government and the National Trust for Historic Preservation agreed to fund a <br />flood mitigation plan. The city, Wisconsin Emergency Government, the Federal Emergency Management <br />Agency, and pertinent agencies within the Department of Natural Resources had been meeting on flood mit- <br />igation issues for several years, so much of the groundwork had been laid and, of course, all continue to be <br />involved. The Corps of Engineers and Soil Conservation Service furnished the personnel to provide research <br />data and statistical information. The state historical society also provided personnel to do the necessary sur- <br />veyand research work to enable Darlington's designation to the state and national regisl1y of historic places. <br />When the 1993 flood and second presidential declaration occurred and monies became available <br />for grant applications, Darlington had its mitigation plan and was ready to move ahead. The Economic <br /> <br />Success Stories 2 <br />
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