County Council Advances Seven Flood Mitigation Projects

Posted On: November 5, 2025

The Volusia County Council recently approved seven major flood-mitigation initiatives, furthering efforts to reduce neighborhood flooding and strengthen community resilience across the county. Funded through the federally supported Transform386 program and developed in partnership with several municipalities, the projects include engineering design work and detailed flood studies aimed at identifying long-term solutions to increase stormwater management capacity. These projects reflect coordinated efforts between Volusia County and its municipalities to strengthen drainage systems and protect neighborhoods across the county.

City of South Daytona – Stevens Canal: This project includes engineering design for flood-mitigation improvements along the Stevens Canal corridor, which runs through the center of South Daytona from just north of Beville Road south to Reed Canal. The design will include sheet-pile wall installation, yard drains with flap valves, upgraded backflow preventers, and new wall structures at key road crossings such as Ridge Boulevard and Big Tree Road.

City of DeLand – DeLand Ridge Watershed: This effort targets drainage basins throughout the unincorporated areas of DeLand and Orange City. The study will model how runoff moves across this elevated sandy ridge and into low-lying basins and will develop pre-engineered conceptual alternatives to reduce roadway and yard flooding.

City of Deltona – Providence Basin: Serving neighborhoods along and south of Providence Boulevard near Braddock Road, this 1,200-acre watershed drains toward Lake Monroe. The analysis will evaluate drainage across residential streets and wetlands and propose alternatives to enhance flow and alleviate flooding in low-lying areas.

City of Deltona – McGarity Basin: Covering roughly 3,800 acres – including the Sidney, McGarity, Big, Diana, Tivoli, Lehigh, and the Lorraine Lake system – this basin runs north to south across central Deltona near Providence Boulevard and Normandy Boulevard. The study will create alternatives, such as stormwater pumping, grading improvements, or enhanced storage features, to reduce flooding and improve stormwater flow toward Lake Monroe.

City of Deltona – Gleason Basin: The Gleason Basin spans about 4,200 acres – roughly 6.5 square miles – generally bounded by I-4 to the west with a series of lakes and wetlands running north to south. It drains residential areas around Lake Gleason and surrounding neighborhoods south toward Lake Monroe. Engineers will identify alternatives to enhance stormwater conveyance, reduce localized flooding, and improve downstream water quality.

City of South Daytona – Stormwater and Resiliency Plan: The County Council approved $488,627 for the development of a comprehensive stormwater and resiliency master plan that will evaluate existing drainage capacity, identify areas of concern, and recommend improvements to reduce flooding in residential neighborhoods. As the City’s last stormwater plan was completed in 1995, the new plan will integrate modern flood modeling and flood-inundation mapping to assess infrastructure performance under changing conditions. It will also outline up to 15 prioritized improvement projects, including cost estimates, benefit-cost ratios, and funding strategies, to guide an implementation plan. In addition, the study will explore measures to address rising groundwater, stronger hurricanes, and tidal-influenced flooding events such as king tides, while helping the City improve its FEMA Community Rating System score to lower flood insurance costs for residents.

Daytona Beach – Stormwater and Watershed Plan: The County Council approved $1,396,089 for a citywide stormwater and watershed management plan. The project will update and expand the City’s hydrologic and hydraulic modeling to evaluate current and future flooding risks, including those exacerbated by aging infrastructure. Using advanced modeling tools, the plan will analyze multiple watershed systems and identify conceptual mitigation projects focused on flood reduction, water-quality improvement, and long-term stormwater management. The effort will help ensure that future mitigation and infrastructure improvements are prioritized equitably across the community, particularly in neighborhoods with older housing most vulnerable to storm impacts.