Council Approves Three Studies to Address High-Risk Flooding Areas

Posted On: April 7, 2025

During its April 1 meeting, the Volusia County Council approved three task assignments to identify and address stormwater and flooding issues in vulnerable areas of the county. The studies, part of the Countywide Stormwater Master Plan, will focus on areas that have experienced repeated or severe flooding during recent storm seasons.

Each task involves a watershed analysis, a process that examines how water flows through a specific area and identifies potential flooding issues. These studies help engineers understand drainage patterns, assess storm impacts, and recommend improvements to reduce future flood risk.

The council approved a task assignment with Halff Associates, Inc., for a watershed analysis in the Spruce Creek area, focusing on the B-21 Canal subbasin. This subbasin has experienced severe flooding within the watershed. The analysis will be completed in two phases, with the first prioritizing the B-21 Canal and contributing area.

Two additional studies were approved in partnership with Freese and Nichols, Inc., to analyze watershed conditions in the City of Ormond Beach. One study will focus on the Durrance Acres area, which has seen increased ponding and flooding impacts in recent years due to low-lying land and tributary flow.

The other Ormond Beach study will analyze the combined North U.S. 1 and Ormond Lakes watersheds to address chronic flooding within the U.S. 1 right of way and adjacent parcels. It will also examine the volume and flow impacts of the Ormond Lakes conveyance system.

All three watershed studies are being funded through Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) grant funds, which support long-term recovery and resilience efforts in communities impacted by recent disasters.

Additional information about each approved study may be found here in Agenda Items N, O, and P.