Brandywine Flood Study Technical Compendium
Section 12
Additional Stormwater and Flood Studies in the Brandywine Watershed
April 2025
PREPARED BY Brandywine Conservancy
Chester County Water Resources Authority University of Delaware Water Resources Center
Section 12 Additional Stormwater and Flood Studies in the Brandywine Watershed
12.1 Acknowledgement of Complementary Studies
While the Brandywine Flood Study was being undertaken, other partners in the watershed were actively engaged in their own studies related to flooding and stormwater management. This section provides a brief summary of each of those efforts and the partners involved.
12.2 Studies in Pennsylvania
City of Coatesville Flood and Impact Report (2021)
After Hurricane Ida, the City of Coatesville worked in collaboration with the City’s Fire Department, the Chester County Department of Emergency Services, and Cedarville Engineering Group to develop a report assessing damages, the conditions of the existing stormwater system, and recommendations for future mitigation efforts.
Gibbons Run Culvert Study
Following the release of the 2021 report, the City of Coatesville worked with Cedarville Engineering Group develop a comprehensive evaluation of the Gibbons Run Culvert system, which is a major stormwater infrastructure artery on the eastern side of the City. This assessment includes an evaluation of the existing system’s condition and flow capacity, as well as the development of conceptual plans to redirect flow away from the Gibbons Run system if the existing infrastructure is determined to be insufficient.
12.3 Studies in Delaware
Plan for Restoring Wilmington’s Rivers (2023)
Christina-Brandywine River Remediation Restoration Resilience (CBR4) is an initiative to address legacy toxic contamination, restore the native ecology, and prepare for the changing climate, as well as other threats to river health in the lower Christina River and tidal Brandywine Creek. Numerous partners are involved in the development and implementation of this plan, including American Rivers; BrightFields, Inc.; the Christina Conservancy; the Delaware Nature Society; Sarver Ecological; Anchor QEA; the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control; the Delaware Department of Transportation; and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. Collaborate Northeast and the South Wilmington Planning Network are also involved in community engagement efforts related to this project.
Lower Brandywine Flood Study
This study focuses on the flooding in communities on the Brandywine in Wilmington, DE. It aims to engage local residents in efforts to identify flood risks and vulnerable areas. The outcome of this study will be to draft flood relief strategies for implementation and publish a cost-benefit analysis of these strategies. This study is being conducted by the City of Wilmington and the University of Delaware Water Resources Center.
Community
Rewilding on the Brandywine (2024)
This study, led by the University of Delaware, Green Building United, and Northeast Rising, focused on flooding in communities directly northeast of Brandywine Creek in Wilmington, DE. As part of this effort, a Community Coalition was formed to give residents a direct voice to impact flood relief strategies in the neighborhoods adjacent to 11th Street and Northeast Boulevard. The study was made possible by National Fish and Wildlife Foundation funding awarded to Green Building United and included the University of Delaware’s living shoreline study at the 11th Street Bridge, green asset mapping in the area by graduate students, and support of Northeast Rising. As a result, a climate education and outreach program was developed, and flood relief strategies were selected by residents for implementation, including a bioswale and rain garden at Johnston Playground. The community leadership team and coalition provided programming around naturebased experiences, community meetings and workshops, and engagement with decision makers, including the City of Wilmington. A Northeast Community Emergency Response Training team has emerged from this programming, spearheaded by a longstanding community leader and Northeast Rising ambassador.
Delaware Department of Natural Resource and Environmental Control (DNREC) Composite Flood Risk Analysis
This technical pilot study focuses on flooding in communities of Northeast and South Wilmington, DE, to identify the combined flood risk from coastal, riverine, and urban stormwater runoff; identify flood sites within environmental justice areas; and update non-regulatory flood prediction maps. A technical report and mapping layers will be published in winter 2025 and included in the Flood Planning Tool on DNREC’s website. Funded by FEMA, this study is being conducted by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control in partnership with WSP USA Environment & Infrastructure Solutions, Inc. Additionally, it is being facilitated in coordination with the Lower Brandywine Study and with participation from the City of Wilmington.
Funding for this report is provided by
