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Red Cedar Rising
Urbanization, precipitation increase Mich. river floodings
Trowbridge project draws mixed citizen feedback
By Derek Gartee
By Michael Kransz
dgartee@statenews.com
mkransz@statenews.com
The State News
The State News
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Director of building services Gus Gosselin received a call from MSU Police over the weekend. The Red Cedar River had just surpassed the minor flood stage, 7 feet. Gosselin had knowledge of the climbing waters and estimations of where it would crest from forecast models, so he and his team had prepared the potentially affected buildings and had been observing for any variations. The Red Cedar River crested at 7.33 feet, flooding much of the DeMartin Soccer Stadium and only portions of the McClane Baseball Stadium and the W.J. Beal Botanical Garden — a “garden-variety” flooding, compared to historical records, said Mark Walton, a hydrologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Although the river benefits the campus with its tranquil, scenic aspects, it is under constant monitoring by MSU officials for fear of flooding. Portions of MSU are built upon what is referred to as a 100-year flood plain, or the area surrounding a river that, year-to-year, has a 1 percent chance of flooding. MSU structures built within the 100-year floodplain include the entire Brody Neighborhood, the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center, the Sparty statue, Spartan Stadium, IM Sports-Circle, the Computer Center and potentially the Hannah Administration Building, among others.
Danyelle Morrow/The State News
Dog walkers for the "Woofer Walk" turn around to avoid a flooded Red Cedar River on Saturday behind the Main Library. Several spots along the river's path flooded, closing down sidewalks.
cipitation increases but, as the study concludes, temperatures in the Midwest are rising at a rapid rate, which produces an increase of water vapor in the atmosphere and the potential for increased precipitation. “One concern is whether or not more extreme precipitation will increase in the future because of (the) water vapor in the atmosphere due to higher temperatures,” Winkler said. Another trend that Walton and many others have been tracking Come Again Anothis that of river flooding, er Day which has been on an According to the upswing in Michigan, recent National Clihe said. mate Assessment for Walton said frethe Midwest region, The chance of quent and intense annual precipitation MSU’s campus flooding events are has increased by 20 per- getting not the sole consecent in the past century quent of precipitaand is estimated to con- smacked is tion, rather, flooding tinue increasing. pretty high is a “death by 1,000 The upward trend of cuts” that is exacerprecipitation is primarbated by urbanizaily “driven by intensifition, or the removcation of the heaviest Hydrologist al of porous surfacrainfalls,” which are es that absorb storm defined as rain events producing an inch or more of water runoff, along a floodplain. precipitation. Such events also Instead, the runoff goes directly are estimated to occur more into the river. “The chance of MSU’s campus frequently. Julie Winkler, geography pro- getting smacked is pretty high,” fessor and co-author of one of the Walton said, citing urbanization assessment’s technical papers, along the river and MSU’s locasaid it’s difficult to predict pre- tion in the floodplain as the two
“ .”
Mark Walton
Danyelle Morrow/The State News
The Red Cedar River covers sidewalks on Saturday outside Old College Field. The flood water covered much of the bike path and the land surrounding the McLane Baseball Stadium at Old College Field.
main causes. One-in-100 Although the chance of a 100year flood occurring at any given year are slim, Walton said, over longer periods of time the odds increase. “If you have a home within the 100-year floodplain with a
30-year mortgage, the odds of you getting flooded are 26 percent,” Walton said. According to MSU, this scale of flooding would occur when the Red Cedar River reaches 14.4 feet, but Walton estimates it would occur at 12 to 14 feet. Earlier this year, the possibility that lingering snowpack in
March would melt with spring showers prompted concerns, Gosselin said. “This spring we were a little bit nervous because of the amount of snow we got this winter and the potential for spring rainfall, because that See FLOOD on page 2 u
On May 20, the East Lansing City Council green-lit a project to redevelop the Trowbridge Plaza to the south-west of campus, at a considerably smaller scope than originally proposed. The redevelopment project would originally “renovate existing buildings and parking lot and construct a new, five-story, mixed-use building,” according to a memorandum by East Lansing officials. Citizen outpour and a littany of debate amongst council members led to an amendment to the proposal — the reduction of the five-story building to four stories. Since its initial proposal, the project has been met with a barrage of citizen criticism, with many local residents concerned about the new building’s potential effects. “Originally the community was optimistic of the redevelopment. However, disappointment soon followed,” said Jim DeWitt, president of the Red Cedar Community Association. DeWitt, along with many other local residents was not in favor of such a large, residential building in the area. Concerns were also raised about the traffic problems they alleged would arise. “The plan before us presents an extreme traffic hazard,” East Lansing resident Sheila Taylor said. Taylor said the squeezing of parking spaces, coupled with the increase in pedestrian concentration could be a lethal combination. However, some residents believe this opportunity is a rare change for improvement to a blighted area. “I know the history of East Lansing. All around us East Lansing is being redeveloped, except Trowbridge Road,” local resident and owner of Wendy’s restaurant Randy Isreal said. “We finally have someone willing to invest a lot of money into the city. Nobody has been willing to invest for years and years, until now. If we don’t fix this now, it will become a very big eyesore.” “There are concerns about densit y, financing, traffic and size,” East Lansing MaySee DEVELOPMENT on page 2 u
more inside MSU baseball Minty defeats fest IllinoisMich., to St.Johns, celebrates progress intradition, Big Ten summer fun at Tournament Mint Festival
New cat in town
Ride of silence
Black Cat Bistro caters to more mature dining audience
Cyclists bike to Capitol to raise awareness for fallen cyclists
Sports+features, PAGE 6
campus+city, pG. 5
CAMPUS+CITY, PAGE 3
Corey Damocles/The State News
A bike sits on the ground covered in stickers during the Ride of Silence on Wednesday outside Wells Hall. The group rode their bikes from Wells Hall to the Michigan State Capitol.