Aurora Ohio’s Stormwater Master Plan and Asset Management Program

Originally presented at StormCon 2023. Purchase all 28 sessions here.

The City of Aurora, Ohio, completed a stormwater master plan to identify needed improvements to address neighborhood flooding, stream bank erosion and aging infrastructure citywide. With the change in hydrology, the city has seen an increase in flooding in flood-prone areas throughout the community. This effort included a hydrologic and hydraulic modeling analysis focused on crucial flooding areas throughout the city. XPSWMM 2D modeling was used to visually display existing and proposed conditions as part of a detailed alternatives analysis. The planning effort also assessed stream instability issues based on cross-sectional information collected at key locations. Additionally, to assess the city’s overall stormwater infrastructure needs, a detailed risk-based analysis was completed using the city’s GIS database. Combining the master planning and asset management efforts provided a holistic view of the city’s long-term infrastructure needs. The use of data-driven asset risk ranking provided a useful methodology for determining and prioritizing stormwater-related capital improvement plan projects throughout the city.

About the Presenter

Harry Stark is the Director of Public Services and Engineering for the City of Aurora. He has over thirty years of experience in administrative activities and multiple areas of expertise. Harry is also on the Ohio Stormwater Association Board, Executive Director of the Annual Ohio Stormwater Conference, Executive Director of Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners, editorial board for Stormwater Solutions magazine, and Administrative Vice Chair for the CPMSM Committee of Envirocert International.