Significant drainage issues within the area of 43rd Street and Terry Avenue prompted the City of Sioux Falls to retain Stockwell Engineers to investigate creative solutions to those issues. Properties in this area had experienced significant and reoccurring flooding during major rain events. The existing municipal storm water infrastructure was severely overwhelmed and in need of significant improvements. With the contributing basin being fully developed and land very limited, a creative solution was necessary. Stockwell’s team evaluated numerous options for the city to consider.
Stockwell utilized their expertise in hydraulic modeling and cost analysis to evaluate each option and arrive at the most economic solution. Ultimately, the final solution included the reconstruction of streets and storm sewer for roughly 20 city blocks along with an underground detention facility within Marion Park. The underground detention facility is only the second of its kind for the City of Sioux Falls. It includes 12 rows of 11.5-ft diameter steel pipe spanning a length of 400 feet. In total, the facility holds 5.6 million gallons of storm water underneath the equivalent of 1 football field. The 2 year project was completed in the fall of 2019 with Stockwell Engineers providing the construction administration and staking services.